Gundam SEED Destiny: Freedom's Flight
by Chaos Nightbringer
Summary: AU. The world-splitting conflict of Destiny with more players. NO LONGER ON HOLD! ALMOST FINISHED!
1. Angry Eyes

**Gundam SEED Destiny: Freedom's Flight**

_Rated M because it's war, and I kill characters._

_Summary: Gundam SEED Destiny if Kira and Lacus (and Freedom) had also been at Armory One, and Mayu had survived to join ZAFT with Shinn._

Phase 01: Angry Eyes

When the missiles started firing from the O.M.N.I. Ships, Shinn and his family had already been running. Shinn was carrying some of his stuff in his duffel bag. The rest of their baggage had been sealed in underground bunkers. The ORB government was considerate, at least.

Shinn's eyes were only halfway on the path. The other half was on the blue winged mobile suit.

# # #

Kira was keeping one eye on Forbidden and Raider, and one on Calamity. The heavy artillery on that suit worried him. In striking power, that suit easily overwhelmed Freedom, and that suit was designed with heavy artillery in mind!

Maybe it was coincidence that he noticed the four people running from Calamity. He gritted his teeth and switched Freedom to Hi-Mat mode, sweeping in like a comet, setting Freedom's Lupus on its lower back. He could only grab two. He landed in front of the family and set his heavy shield between them and Calamity. The shield could absorb a lot of damage, but Calamity could probably break it in half with all its weaponry.

# # #

"Please get two people on, I can't hold for long." The voice thundered from the white mobile suit's head-mounted speakers. Shinn's mother instantly pushed Mayu onto Freedom's hand. Shinn's father grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Shinn, take care of your sister! Do you hear me?! Take care of Mayu!" he shouted in Shinn's face.

"But father! You're coming too! You can't stay behind! You can't!" Shinn said, horrified by his father's words.

The shield erupted in shadow as a beam cannon struck it. Freedom rocked a little. "Hurry!" Shinn was thrown on the waiting hand, which closed protectively around Mayu and Shinn. Then Freedom went airborne.

Calamity fired where Freedom had been a half a second ago, destroying the spot where Shinn and Mayu's parents had been a moment ago.

"FATHER!!" Shinn cried. It was all the Attha's fault! How could they let the Earth Alliance attack Orb, and drive people from their homes only to be killed. "**DAMN YOU, ATTHAS!" **Mayu stared, horrified of Shinn. What had he become?

Mobile Suit GUNDAM SEED: DESTINY

Athrun opened his eyes and looked over at Cagalli. She was asleep on his shoulder. He smiled and looked out the window. And his jaw dropped. That ship. The pink colors. The twin Meteors attached to the bow. It was the Eternal! What was the Eternal doing here?

# # #

Kira checked his watch. He felt the door open and instinctively looked to see Athrun and Cagalli enter the beginning of the long walkway from the civilian harbor to the plant proper. The plant was mainly two large, semi-concave discs held to a center core by a long tube, with a transparesteel (_transpare_nt _steel_) cone connecting on the outside and holding in over a mile of atmosphere.

He stared, surprised. "What are you two doing here?"

"I'm here to see Chairman Durandal! You're such an idiot." Cagalli said.

"What are you doing here?" Athrun asked.

"_I'm_ waiting for Lacus. Lacus is here to talk with Durandal, too." Kira said. As if on cue, Lacus entered the room and saw the three of them waiting for her.

"Oh! Hello Athrun! Cagalli!" she floated over and hugged Cagalli. Cagalli smiled and hugged Lacus back.

"Lacus, why do you want to talk with Durandal?" Cagalli asked when they broke apart. "And where's your Haro?" The door slid open, and Mr. Pink bounced into Lacus's hands.

"I was here to ask him to stop the buildup of ZAFT forces." Lacus said, smiling. Athrun and Cagalli were taken aback.

"Let me guess, you're here to talk to the Chairman about that, too." Kira guessed.

"Well, it's important!" Cagalli retorted. "Why did you bring the Eternal?"

"Well, if the Archangel left the hangar, it might raise suspicions on both sides. I did bring Freedom, though." Kira explained. Lacus smiled and nodded, confirming.

"Oh…that's…good." Cagalli said. She looked to the walkway. "Shall we?"

# # #

Lunamaria Hawke looked around the Factory with a smile. She'd never seen quite so many Ginn Ceremonial types. "I don't really see what the fuss is about."

Mayu Asuka looked up at Lunamaria, smiling. Mayu and Shinn had both graduated, but unlike Shinn, Mayu was only a Green coat. She hadn't even been assigned a mobile suit, yet. She really hoped.

"It can't be helped." Ash said. "It's been a while since we've done anything like this. But all it means is the _Minevra_'s just about ready to go."

"I guess. Hey, Mayu, have they assigned you a Zaku yet?"

Mayu sighed. "No. What's worse, I haven't even gotten a GuAIZ R."

"Don't sweat it, kid."

# # #

The VTOL swerved for a landing. The craft came to a rest and lowered to the ground. The door slid open. The purple uniformed Praetorian Guard walked into position. Gilbert Durandal was already walking out when they got to the craft, and they smoothly turned about face and followed after him. A journalist was already beside Durandal.

"Mr. Chairman, with your recent election, anyone has yet to ask you about your position on the EA debate." (Translation: What do you think of Blue Cosmos.)

"I understand their decisions and beliefs, but Blue Cosmos itself isn't so much an organization so much as an ideology. And obviously, they can act separate of any actual government, so stricter adherence to the Treaty of Junius, while necessary out of simple decency, won't eliminate the threat of those terrorists." Durandal answered smoothly. He caught sight of the blonde boy he'd helped raise since his birth. No, he corrected himself, the young man. The young man who was also a ZAFT Redcoat, and at attention. Durandal gave him a smile and continued on.

"Chairman!" Another Praetorian approached Durandal. "The Princess from Orb and Lacus Clyne, and their bodyguards, have just arrived." Durandal absorbed the news, then smiled.

# # #

Athrun pulled on his sunglasses as they were pulled down the walkway by wall tracks. Kira looked Cagalli up and down. "Do you think you should meet the Chairman dressed like that?" he asked. "I know your father wore something like it, but really, would a dress kill you?"

"What does it matter what I wear?" Cagalli asked.

"Well…politics are about 80 percent looks, 20 percent words." Kira said. Lacus shook her head, trying not to laugh. Athrun winced when Cagalli punched Kira in the face. A kid with green hair caught his eye. He looked. Three kids. They didn't look dangerous, but they were remaining separate from the crowd.

Athrun looked really close at the green haired one. That wasn't Orga. Or Shani, although Athrun had never really gotten a good look at Shani. The standing one, a blonde haired girl, looked straight at Athrun. Athrun's eyes widened. She had Kira's eyes! And she was blonde…was it possible she was related to Kira and Cagalli.

"Kira-" Athrun stared.

"I know." Kira said. I felt her when I entered the room. (remember, Kira has newtype senses.)

"What do you mean you felt her? Are you like Rau was? He could, I don't know, like he could see through the back of his head!"

Kira smiled and looked at Athrun. "Not quite looking through the back of your head, more like having a third eye that can see through everything, and you can just hear where everything is, but you can't really see them or really hear them. You just know."

# # #

Sting didn't bother with window-shopping. He was on a mission, not a shopping trip.

"Hey, Neo did say we could use an explosion to distract the military. Imagine how big a bang these stores could make." Auel said, smiling at the last bit. Sting had read up on his predecessors, Shani Andras, Orga Sabank, and Clotho Buer, and how insane they were, and frankly, Auel was probably Shani's half-cousin in terms of pyrotechnics love. The idiot had wasted a whole battery of a Buster Dagger in under a minute blasting stuff. Although maybe Sting had Shani and Orga confused.

"Eh, better not. Neo said to avoid civilian casualties. And if we piss him off, he'll use the Pain." Sting held back a shiver. No extended liked the Pain. Even though Sting, Stella, and Auel were altered to be anti-coordinator-effective without taking regular doses of Gamma Gilphelyn, (they had a genetically engineered extra organ for that,) somehow they scientists were able to inflict the Pain.

Stella froze at her reflection. She turned to face the mirror. "Huh…" she spun, swirling her dress around herself. She looked down at herself. Yes! Dancing! She giggled and continued spinning.

"What is she doing back there?" Auel asked.

"Playing the part of a ditzy airhead?" Sting suggested.

"Huh? That's ridiculous!" Auel said.

"That'd be my guess." Sting said, shrugging.

# # #

Cagalli stepped into Durandal's office, trying not to scowl. Durandal turned.

"Princess! I'm so glad you could make it here on such short notice." He said.

"Thank you for fitting me into your busy schedule. I'm grateful you did." Durandal bowed humbly and gestured to a chair. Lacus entered.

"Miss Clyne." Durandal bowed again. Athrun and Kira walked in at the same time. Durandal froze, if only for a second, at the sight of Kira. "And you must be, Kira Hibiki." Durandal said, offering a hand. Kira froze. No one used that name. "I prefer Kira Yamato, actually." Kira said, smiling, and took the hand.

"Yes, well." Durandal said, waving it off. "I worked with your parents on the Fourth Generation Coordinator birth rate problem before they started their Ultimate Coordinator project. In fact, I donated some DNA to the cause, if memory serves. I still work on the birth rate problem in my spare time, however." Kira suddenly felt uncomfortable, even more so when he noticed that Durandal had the same colored eyes.

"Mr. Chairman?" Cagalli asked. Durandal looked back to Cagalli and Lacus.

"Oh, my apologies, Princess, Ms. Clyne. Just catching up on old times." He sat down across from the young women. "You wished to speak to me about the buildup of military assets in ZAFT. In all honesty, our mobile suit numbers have not gone up more than 2 percent. Simply the quality of the mobile suits has increased."

Kira suddenly had a very bad feeling…

# # #

Stella was flying. The feeling, the sun on her shoulders, the air whipping at her dress. Then she hit something. She began to fall. She was already moving, turning to put her face to the ground, hands out. The ground stopped moving, and she became aware of a pair of hands on her breasts. Sting? Auel? She looked over her shoulder.

'_I'm afraid I can't believe that ZAFT's Mobile Suit Quantity has stayed so low, Mr. Chairman.'_

Shinn Asuka smiled. "Y' okay?"

# # #

"Believe me, Princess, I've gone over the numbers myself. Would you care to have ORB do a full Mobile Suit count? Would that prove satisfactory, Ms. Clyne?" Durandal said.

"No, it would not!" Cagalli shouted, interrupting Lacus. "I would accept the disposal of 1 percent of ZAFT's assets!" Durandal's smile vanished to a frown.

"I'm afraid, Princess, that I cannot allow the disposal of such vital defense. I'm not sure if you have paid such close attention to the Earth Alliance, but the Atlantic Federation has not only produced more units than necessarily legal, they have rebuilt two mass drivers, and built three more above that."

Cagalli opened her mouth to speak. "Cagalli." Kira said, his voice loud. Cagalli looked, and Kira's eyes told, he was in SEED Mode.

"Mr. Durandal, if you could perhaps prove that your assets have not numerically increased past the treaty?" Lacus suggested. A Praetorian stepped forward.

"Ms. Clyne, even though you represent the Plant-based Clyne Faction, the ORB Union's Princess would present a Breach in protocol, and-"

"That would seem perfectly acceptable, Ms. Clyne." Durandal said.

# # #

"Is Stella…okay? Am I okay?" Stella asked. Then she realized that this boy was the enemy. Her passive face became a snarl and she pushed Shinn backwards and ran after Sting and Auel.

Shinn watched her run away, surprised. What was her problem?

"You grabbed her rack, didn't you?" Yolant suddenly asked. Shinn looked at his hands, terrified, then looked at Yolant. "You lucky pervert." He started walking towards the Minevra.

"I didn't mean to! Really!" Shinn called after Yolant. Yolant just waved him off.

# # #

Rey za Burrel smiled as Mayu and Lunamaria got off the jeep. Lunamaria just smiled and waved, Mayu avoided any eye contact with Rey. Rey grinned at Mayu and nodded to Lunamaria.

"We loading the Zakus into the Minevra?" Lunamaria asked. Rey nodded again.

"I already prepped mine for transfer. Oh, and Mayu? Happy Birthday." Rey nodded to a bright pink Zaku Warrior, the same color as Mayu's cell phone. Mayu looked at it and started jumping up and down, squealing. She threw herself onto Rey, wrapping her arms and legs around him, shouting "Thank you!" over and over, almost too fast for Rey to catch.

"Calm down!" Rey cried, startled.

# # #

Stella joined Sting and Auel at the hangar.

"'Bout time you got here." Sting said. His voice, once joking and peaceful, had become cold and deadly, like Sting's namesake. Stella reached into the duffel and pulled out a sheathed combat knife and a machine pistol. Sting was holding a pair of large SMGs, Auel holding a pair of Machine pistols, larger than Stella's.

# # #

"I'll admit, all this power is rather unsightly. I, personally, am a believer in science and order. Still, I suppose strength is necessary for power. Is that the reason Orb still has control of its full military assets?" Durandal said. Athrun looked and his eyes widened, his teeth grinding together. Bald head, no CIWS, a larger chest section, a shield attached to one shoulder, the other mounting a large spike. That was no GuAIZ R. That was a completely new unit.

"Still! Too much strength will only invite conflict!" Cagalli shouted, drawing everyone's attention. Durandal stared, surprised, but quickly regained composure.

"No, Princess. Strength is a necessity. There will always be conflict." Lacus suddenly spoke up.

"Where's Kira?" Athrun looked around.

# # #

The Extendeds charged, firing. ZAFT rounds cut through the guards. Stella jumped into a crowd of soldiers and slashed through a pair, shot one, and stabbed the last one, blood spraying across her face. Sting grinned at the display and cut down a whole hall of soldiers like weeds before the reaper's scythe.

Auel flipped into another crowd, one gun pointed to his left and his right, and let loose bullet after bullet, upside down. He landed and buried the muzzle of one pistol down the throat of another guard. Auel grinned and squeezed the trigger.

# # #

"Kira Yamato. Freedom, Launching!" Freedom shot forward, and left behind the magrails of the launch ramp. He flew through the harbor into the tube that led to the Factory. Strength was no necessity. Kira would protect the Plants. He was going to destroy every damn mobile suit in that place.

# # #

"What?! How can you believe that?" Cagalli asked, ignoring Kira's absence. Her twin brother would show up eventually. Durandal smiled.

"It is human nature to fight. Even in Eden there was conflict. And I assure you, there was conflict when your twin brother was created. _Much_ conflict."

# # #

Sting grinned as the mobile suit he had chosen long months ago finally came alive at his finger tips. All the planning, the training, the times he'd received he Pain, it was all worth it in that single moment of elation. In that instant, he was a god. The mobile suit's radar detected three more soldiers taking cover under Chaos's cradle. He stomped the cradle into scrap metal and found the soldiers, cowering before him. He locked on with his CIWS.

"Worth it." He fired.

# # #

Auel felt elation when his new Abyss Gundam activated, but he was too giddy with the firepower now at his hands to enjoy the experience. And Stella was too cold and heartless, at least in combat, to really feel emotion. At least, that's what Neo suspected. He opened Abyss's shoulder shields and unfolded the Baileena Kai beam cannons.

"Time to blow stuff up!" He fired into the door.

# # #

Nine beams pierced through the heavy hangar door and blasted apart a pair of GuAIZ Rs sitting opposite that particular hangar. Lacus, Athrun, Cagalli, Durandal, and about everyone within eye or sensor range of the blast, turned to see the spectacle.

# # #

The array of that attack. That wasn't some GaZuoot or something. That had to be a single unit. But that many beams was impossible! Even Freedom didn't have that much firepower! Hell, Calamity hadn't had that much firepower!

Kira stared, horrified, as Abyss stepped out of the smoking rubble. He turned Freedom and unfolded its Baileena beam cannons and Xiphias Railcannons, and aimed Freedom's Lupus Beam rifle. He locked every weapon on that unit.

Abyss unfolded its shoulder shields and Baileena Kai cannons again, this time aiming at Freedom, though it couldn't lock on like Freedom. Auel grinned and fired first. Kira's eyes went wide, and he dodged.

"Oh, man! Not good!" Then Chaos and Gaia stepped out. "Three new gundams? Damn!" he hadn't taken on three gundams since the Bloody Valentine, and they hadn't had Nuclear Reactors! Then again, N-Jammer Cancellers were illegal, so maybe these units didn't have them. The three gundams suddenly went from grey to Blue, Green, and Black.

'If they run on battery,' Kira thought grimly, 'then they're probably damn good batteries.' This would be even worse than Forbidden, Calamity, and Raider. Kira flipped on a few buttons. He'd kept Freedom disconnected from the ZAFT FOF update system for a long time. The three Gundams were suddenly bracketed onto Freedom's target scanner central screen. He read the three names.

'Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss.' Freedom's radiation scanners, though not designed to scan other targets, picked up enough range to tell Kira that they weren't using fission.

# # #

"Let's blast it!" Auel cried, laughing as he fired at Freedom. The white suit dodged and weaved through Abyss's multiple beam cannon blasts.

'Stop wasting your ammo!' Sting snarled. 'Take out the mobile suits! Leave that white bastard to me!'

"Stella! You take the left!"

'Understood.' Gaia ran off, transforming into its Quadruped mode.

# # #

Chaos lunged at Freedom, blades of energy snapping from its feet and the beam saber in its hand. Kira set Freedom's Lupus on its back and drew a beam saber.

"Let's Go!" he shouted, charging.

# # #

"It's the new models! Someone's taking them!" a greencoat shouted.

"What?!" Durandal cried, horrified. Athrun was taken aback. What kind of new models? A beam cannon blast drew his attention, and Cagalli's to the answer.

Abyss blew apart A GuAIZ R with its Callidus.

"That's a…" he said, voice weak.

"A gundam!" Lacus finished for him.

"Ms. Clyne, Attha, please find safety." Durandal said. He nodded to a Praetorian. The guard stepped up to Lacus and Cagalli. Athrun looked to the pair. Freedom shot past.

"Kira!" Athrun shouted.

"This way!" The guard said, and led Cagalli and Lacus away. Athrun gritted his teeth and chased after them. He heard out the corner of his ear Durandal giving orders to call the Minevra for backup.

Ahead, Abyss stabbed a GuAIZ R's head unit, then kicked it over. The GuAIZ exploded, taking the guard with it. Athrun pulled Lacus and Cagalli out the fire's reach.

"Why is this happening?!" Cagalli shouted. A thunderous crash drew Athrun's attention. He looked to see that new unit he'd seen, on its back, its cockpit open.

"Come on." He ran to the open cockpit. Cagalli and Lacus followed him. "Get in." Lacus jumped atop the unit and dropped into the cockpit.

"Wait, we can't steal this machine!" Cagalli started. Athrun sweeped her up, bridal style, and jumped in.

# # #

Kira blocked the beam claws with Freedom's shield. These units were making Freedom look inept! He sighed and went into SEED Mode. He broke away from Chaos and flipped over it. Chaos flipped and folded into a mobile armor mode, firing a beam cannon. Kira dodged, surprised. Chaos fell back to the ground, folding open in Mobile Suit mode again. Kira dived at it, drawing a Lacerta back.

# # #

Athrun powered up the Zaku Warrior and raised it to its feet. Athrun looked around and saw Gaia turning towards him. Gaia raised its beam rifle and fired. Athrun dodged, firing the Zaku's boosters. He flipped the weapon selector to beam tomahawk. The Zaku pulled a weapon from its shoulder shield. Athrun charged and rammed the gundam, the Zaku's shoulder shield moving between the Zaku and Gaia. The black and red gundam dropped its beam rifle, and ground to a halt. Then it reached for its beam saber.

# # #

Kira felt a beam saber ignite and looked to the source. The black one was attacking a Zaku. Kira drew his beam rifle and fired. The Black one blocked and jumped away. He turned back just in time to block a beam cannon blast from the Chaos.

Kira was beginning to feel for the three Gundams' abilities. But they didn't even know Kira, or Freedom. He flipped and fired his beam cannons, blasting Chaos to the ground. Kira dodged the beam salvo from Abyss, locked on, and fired Full Burst. Abyss jumped out of the way, the blast catching the read end of its left shoulder shield, turning one ram cannon to slag.

Abyss was just an upgraded version of Calamity with too many beam cannons, and Chaos was just a wannabe Aegis with gunbarrels. He lunged at Gaia. Gaia slashed, and Kira boosted back, then charged again, when a beam salvo missed him by a hair. He turned to fire on Abyss, when Chaos fired its missiles at Freedom. Kira backpedaled and fired Freedom's machine guns and CIWS, detonating the missiles.

Gaia was suddenly charging Freedom, beam blades extended. The Zaku was between them, and it tackled Gaia aside.

# # #

'Core Splendor to main catapult. Opening Silhouette Hangar two, Sword Module selected.' A fighterjet on a platform was raised into a launch catapult. The pilot pushed the throttle full out, and the jet shot forward.

# # #

"What's wrong with me today? These punks should be no trouble!" Kira shouted at himself. He locked onto Chaos's head, Abyss's shoulder shields, and Gaia's beam blades. He fired. The gundams dodged Freedom's barrage and together aimed and fired at Freedom. Kira dodged.

# # #

Auel growled at Freedom's lack of courtesy to just keel over and DIE, then looked at the Zaku. He opened the shoulder shields and aimed. A missile shot right into Abyss's chest. Auel cried out as Abyss tripped, and looked around. He saw a blue and white blur shoot by.

# # #

Kira saw the four craft circle around Freedom and the three second stage gundams, then fly straight up. The jet and the slimmer large section connected by lasers and slid together, forming a gundam's lower half.

'Don't tell me…' Kira thought, surprised by the sudden turn of events. The other large section connected to the lower half and jet, then the fourth flier dropped a back pack that attached to the new mobile suit. It phase shifted to White and red, with gold antennae. Kira was suddenly reminded of the Strike, with the removable backpack, the shield.

His eyes went even wider. "No way!"

# # #

Shinn landed the ZGMF-X56S/beta Sword Impulse Gundam between Abyss and the Zaku, duel 'Excalibur' anti-ship swords in hand. He connected the sword and activated them, swinging the combined double-bladed anti-ship sword in a circle.

"Why is this happening? Do you want to create another one? Another war?!"

# # #

"_No, princess, Strength is a necessity. There will always be conflict."_ Everyone in the Zaku's cockpit was staring, eyes wide. Cagalli's heart was racing. It was Athrun, however, who spoke. His terrified tone sent shivers down Cagalli's spine.

"Is that the Strike?"

# # #

_Next: Those Who Call for War_


	2. Those Who Call for War

Phase 02: Those who call for war

Review Replies:

**Kopakanuvafan20:** Thank you, sir, for your kind compliments. I wanted to make the comparison for a long time, so now I finally get a chance.

**Blazeflare01: **Only Athrun is confused, but he's had a lot of Trauma because of that machine. Kira and Cagalli know it's not the Strike, and I think Lacus can guess it's not. But I had Athrun ask to point out THAT's why they were surprised. And thank you for reviewing.

Oh, and for those who didn't notice: I wrote Vino's name as Ash, (I'd forgotten or didn't know his name, one of the two,) and I also wrote that Durandal had purple eyes, when his are actually gold. Sorry for those.

Phase 02: Those who call for war

Shinn roared, charging. Auel jumped over the Sword Impulse and flipped, bringing Abyss's Baileena Kai beam cannons to bear. Impulse drifted around and fired its beam rifle. Auel cursed and dodged, flipping Abyss back to its feet.

Chaos fired from around a corner. Shinn turned and threw Impulse's double-bladed sword at Chaos. Chaos ducked, and the sword landed in a wall, point sticking out. Shinn boosted at Chaos, firing Impulse's beam rifle.

Sting dodged the attack and grinded backwards to a halt. Impulse boosted at Chaos and kicked it at the anti-ship sword. Gaia suddenly rammed Chaos out of the way of anti-ship sword's blade. Shinn flew at Chaos, flipping and retrieving its double anti-ship sword. Gaia jumped at Impulse. Shinn blocked Gaia's beam blade with his shield, then spun its sword, missing Gaia. Abyss landed behind Impulse, and drew back its beam lance.

# # #

Kira saw the Abyss preparing to impale the Impulse. He gritted his teeth. These machines needed to be destroyed, all of them. But he couldn't fight the three stolen ones without help, and Justice wasn't sitting around like it had with Forbidden, Calamity, and Raider.

# # #

Freedom was suddenly between Impulse and Abyss, both beam sabers in hand, and caught the beam lance blade between the saber blades, and raised it above Freedom's head, and unfolded its Xiaphas railcannons. Abyss aimed its quad ram cannons. Both suits fired, knocking each other backwards.

Kira growled in frustration and unfolded Freedom's Baileena plasma beam cannons. Impulse did likewise. They both fired, and the beams impacted. The blue and red beams overpowered the green, and Freedom's attack continued and hit the Abyss.

# # #

Gaia was in mobile suit mode again, and charged the Impulse. Shinn blocked the strike with one blade, and pressed the attack with other, launching Gaia backwards.

"Damn you!" Stella cried. Chaos boosted at the Impulse, beam saber in either hand, and the bottom half of its beam claws activated. Shinn broke the double sword and blocked the beam sabers. Chaos kicked out at Impulse's head. Shinn ducked and dropped one 'Excalibur' to draw its beam rifle, and fired at Chaos's head point blank. Chaos blocked with its shield. Then, Shinn kicked the 'Excalibur' sword on the ground at Chaos. The sword hit Chaos's shoulder, sending it spinning to the ground. The radar drew Shinn's attention.

# # #

Kira and Freedom twisted, swinging both 'Lacerta' sabers, fighting both Abyss and Gaia in saber combat at the same time, the three suits flying into the sky. Gaia and Abyss both got on Freedom's back, and prepared to fire. Kira flipped Freedom so it was facing down and kicked out, knocking Gaia and Abyss to the ground.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Auel snarled. Kira flipped so it was facing Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss upside down, and fired his machine guns, beam cannons, and railguns. All three suits shielded and boosted apart. Kira dropped to the ground and retrieved Freedom's shield and 'Lupus' beam rifle. Kira glanced at Freedom's heat count. 135, when the max was 150. Maybe that's why he was sweating so hard. He opened Freedom's chest and wing vents and engaged Freedom's Hi-Mat mode.

# # #

"Finishing move!" Sting cried, stabbing at Impulse. Shinn dodged and stabbed out with his longer anti-ship sword. The physical edge didn't pierce the phase shift, but it knocked Chaos back. Chaos transformed to mobile armor mode and fired its Callidus. Shinn dived under the beam blast and rolled, then slashed at Chaos. Chaos boosted up, and Shinn followed, drawing a beam boomerang, and threw it in a random direction.

Chaos, back in MS mode, drew a beam saber and locked swords with Impulse. Shinn fired his thrusters, moving Chaos right into the path of the beam boomerang.

Sting saw the boomerang closing. "Oh, SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" He broke away from Impulse. Impulse caught the beam boomerang and charged. Sting blocked, and Impulse moved the saber out of the way, and stabbed Chaos's left shoulder with the beam boomerang.

# # #

"What's the news with those machines? Give me a status report!" Durandal called.

"Mr. Chairman! Toxic gases are being released!" A black uniformed officer called.

A praetorian guard turned to Durandal. "Mr. Chairman, I must insist that you find a shelter."

"How can I head for shelter at a time like this?"

"Sir, at least board the Minerva." Durandal looked at the new warship. A pity the ceremony would be postponed. He growled, but relented.

# # #

"Ma'am, incoming message. Chairman Durandal will be boarding the Minerva!" Meryin Hawke called. Arthur Reed, the Minevra's XO, looked up, shocked. Talia Gladys nodded.

"Get me a line to Shinn and the Freedom."

# # #

"Dammit! These guys have escaped every plan I've made, and I'm starting to run low." Impulse took cover behind a piece of rubble. Abyss was suddenly in front of the Impulse. Shinn raised his beam rifle to fire. His radar sounded, and he looked left. Gaia tackled him, beam blades ignited, missing the Impulse, but knocking it rolling.

# # #

Athrun's eyes widened. He looked to Freedom, then back to Impulse. "Help him!" Cagalli cried.

"Hold onto somethin'!" Both Cagalli and Lacus grabbed the roll cage surround the pilot's chair. Athrun boosted at Abyss, and blocked its beam lance with the Zaku's tomahawk, and punched Abyss itself in the chest, knocking it backwards. He turned to see Gaia approaching, beam blades screaming through the air. He threw the tomahawk, but the handle hit and bounced off Gaia's quadruped mode head. He jumped over Gaia.

"Don't they have anymore weapons on this crate?!" Athrun shouted, angry. Unknown to Athrun, he'd just broadcast his voice on the radio, Lacus having accidentally turned it on when she got in. Kira's eyes went wide. He looked to see Gaia charging the Zaku, and broke away from Chaos to fire his Baileena beam cannons at Gaia. Gaia dodged. He landed next to the Zaku and handed it his 'Lupus' beam rifle.

# # #

'Shinn! You're orders are to _capture_ them! They belong to us!' The Minevra's XO, Commander Arthur something, said.

"I know! But I don't think I can take them! How the hell did this happen, anyway? Did they just walk in and ask for the keys?" he shouted, angry.

# # #

"That's enough, Asuka!" Talia shouted. "Focus on the battle! Freedom, can you provide assistance?"

'I'm already providing assistance! If you guys at ZAFT hadn't built the new machines, this wouldn't have happened! I haven't had this much trouble since Forbidden, Calamity, and Raider, but at least they didn't have Nuclear reactors!'

"They don't. Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss are battery operated. Unfortunately, so is the Impulse. Instead, they recharge."

# # #

Kira's eyes went wide. "In the field? Great!" He charged Chaos, beam saber in hand. He slashed, only to be blocked by Chaos's, and he blocked Chaos's saber attack with his own shield. He glanced at the heat. 142. That close?

"I have to get out, Freedom's gonna overheat." He opened Freedom's wings and broke away, heading for the Zaku.

# # #

Auel roared with laughter as he fired Abyss's Callidus cannon. Athrun shielded. The beam cannon blast knocked the Zaku into a wall. Athrun heard Cagalli shout out. He looked, and she fell. Athrun caught her, then felt something on his hand. He looked.

Blood. From Cagalli's head! His eyes went wide. The Zaku was suddenly picked up. Athrun looked up. Freedom.

# # #

"Why would they try to steal three units unless they had a carrier? But that doesn't make sense. No one's found a ship outside…" Talia suddenly looked up, eyes wide. She grabbed the phone. "There's a ship with Mirage Colloid outside! I repeat, a ship with Mirage Colloid!"

# # #

Neo Roanoke smiled at the captain's words. "De-cloak the ship and fire Gottfrieds." The Girty Lue phased into visibility and unleashed twelve beams of green light, destroying one Nazca-class and disabling the other two immediately.

# # #

Inside the Harbor, a pair of Laurasia-class frigates moved down the launch tracks. Then, a pair of Dagger Ls with recoiless rifles were at the end. The captain stood up just in time for the a round to vaporize his torso.

# # #

Talia felt the shudder from the Harbor. "Another attack? Dammit!" The back door of the bridge opened, and in stepped Chairman Durandal. Meryin looked and shouted in surprise.

# # #

"The combining bastard's gonna die now!" Auel said, smiling madly. A trio of beam rifle blasts hit the Abyss, knocking it aside. Sting looked. Three Zakus were shooting at Chaos and Abyss.

# # #

'Shinn!' Mayu called. Shinn grinned in relief. He looked over his shoulder and smiled in relief.

# # #

"Sting! That was our cue, and my machine is starting to run out! Stupid Mobile suit!" Auel shouted.

'I know! How many blasts can you get out?'

Auel growled. "Let's see!" He fired Abyss's eleven beam cannons into the wall. Nothing happened. Auel hesitated. "Uh, this may take all three of us."

Sting growled. "Stella! We need you to blast out!"

# # #

Stella was currently charging the Impulse. "I can take this guy out! I can! I can take him!" Both gundams slashed out, missing.

'Stella, that's enough! We're leaving!' Sting shouted.

"He's not gonna beat me! I won't let him!" she blasted at the Impulse.

# # #

'Come on, Shinn!' Rey shouted. Shinn started thinking up a plan. Gaia's pilot was attacking like a berzerker, so if he could lock swords with him when his boomerangs came back…

# # #

"Well, I guess Stella will just have to _DIE_ here!" Auel shouted.

'Auel!'

# # #

_Die. _Stella froze. She didn't wanna die! "You won't die Stella, you won't die. You're fine." She tried to calm herself.

'Don't worry, Stella, I'll tell Neo you're last words, "All she said was, 'Goodbye!'"'

"Goodbye? I don't wanna die! Do you, Stella? No! I'm not gonna die!" she boosted away. She had to get out. She couldn't die! She couldn't! The wanted to live, not die! Live near the ocean! Yeah, the ocean! She loved the ocean! She had to live, so she could learn to swim in the ocean!

She fired her beam cannons at the colony wall.

# # #

Sting gritted his teeth as Stella fled. "Auel, cover me!" He flew Chaos after Gaia. Abyss brought up the rear, firing its ram cannons at the Zakus and Impulse.

# # #

Neo checked his watch. They were late. He looked back to the main viewscreen.

"Any word?" he asked the com officer.

"No sir."

"They might have failed." The captain offered. "They may have smashed the Harbor up, but that place was a military arsenal. The longer they stay, the worse the chances get."

"I know. But I wouldn't have sent them on that mission if I didn't think they had what it took to pull it off and get back here safely. I'll go buy us some time."

"Yes sir!" Neo turned and floated away from the bridge. "Hangar deck, prepare the Exus."

# # #

Shinn zoomed on Gaia firing at the wall. "Dammit, we gotta stop it!" He boosted at Gaia, drawing the Impulse's 'Flash Edge' beam boomerangs. He threw both. A blue and red beam destroyed the first, then six more green beams destroyed the second. Shinn Abyss and Chaos boosted between Impulse and Gaia. Shinn gritted his teeth.

# # #

Durandal looked around. "Give me a status report." Talia only hesitated a moment.

"The Impulse is engaged in combat, and Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss are at the colony wall. Freedom is bringing in a damaged Zaku."

# # #

Kira smiled in relief as the Minevra's left catapult opened. He checked Freedom's heat level. It had dropped to 124. He sighed and dropped into the catapult, and set down the Zaku.

# # #

Lunamaria jumped as her Zaku gave a jump, then started to sink in the air. She cried out in surprise.

'I got you, Luna!' Mayu called, her pink Zaku picking up Lunamaria's Red one.

"Mayu!" Shinn shouted. "Get to the Minerva. I can handle this. That means you, too, Rey."

'Gotcha.' Mayu said, carrying away Luna's Zaku Warrior.

'I'm fine, Shinn, let's finish this. If they get out of here, that's it! We've got to stop them _here_.' Shinn smiled.

"Now there, we agree. Minerva! Send out the Force Silhouette!"

# # #

"What?" Arthur cried.

"Send it out, I authorize it! There's no point keeping it a secret now. Is there?" Talia turned to Durandal. Durandal sighed.

"No."

"Force Silhouette, prepare for launch."

# # #

Shinn dodged Chaos's dragoon pods, and charged the MA itself. He slashed out. The Excalibur gave a final scream and snapped over Chaos's heavy armor.

Shinn cried out in surprise, eyes going wide.

The Red winged Force Silhouette Flier launched from the Minevra.

# # #

Kira dropped from the Freedom to see Lacus climbing from the Zaku's cockpit, followed by Athrun and a barely conscious Cagalli. Kira jumped off the drop line and ran to Lacus, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"Thank god you're okay." He said. Lacus smiled.

"Athrun kept me safe, Kira. You don't need to worry, so long as he's around."

"Right, only when Cagalli's around a mobile suit do I really have to worry."

"Oh, shut up." Cagalli mumbled, holding her forehead.

"Who the hell are you?!" Lunamaria shouted. Kira looked to see a young woman bearing a strong resemblance to Flay, albeit with short hair, in a ZAFT redcoat uniform brandishing a machine pistol.

Kira mentally measured the distance and calculated how long it would take him to get to the gun.

"Lower your weapons!" Athrun called. "This is Ms. Cagalli Yula Attha, a representative of the Orb Union. I'm her personal attendant. My name is Alex Dino." Kira looked to his left and noticed Mayu Asuka.

"Mayu! Where's Shinn?"

# # #

Chaos and Impulse collided, shields sparking. Both mobile suits were launched backwards.

'Shinn! The Force flier!' Rey called. Shinn boosted after the flier as it flew past. Chaos chased after him. Shinn ejected the remains of the Sword Silhouette. He activated the laser lines with the Force silhouette, and brought it to the Impulse's Silhouette connector. The Impulse's armor phase shifted into white, blue, and red.

# # #

The extendeds' eyes went wide. Sting broke off chasing Impulse and flipped backwards, getting a wider look at the Impulse.

"No way!"

"He changed the equipment?" Auel asked.

"Oh, no, I'm just shouting at something for the hell of it! Of course he did, ya dumbass!"

# # #

Impulse shot straight at Chaos. Chaos fired its beam rifle, and Impulse dodged left, then right, and slashed at Chaos. Abyss fired its triple beam cannons at Impulse.

Shinn blocked and shield-bashed the Abyss.

# # #

Stella panicked. She aimed at the Impulse, but didn't fire. If he came after the Gaia, Stella would blast him away.

'You're gonna pay for that!' Sting cried, launching Chaos's twin Dragoon pods.

# # #

Chaos's blasts just barely missed Impulse, instead hitting the colony wall, and the Transperasteel wall flashed and melted open. Shinn's eyes widened.

# # #

The pink mobile armor shot forward. Neo launched its for gunbarrels and quickly dispatched the three GuAIZ Rs and a CGUE, smiling. Then he noticed the three mobile suits escaping. He let a breath in relief as Sting, Auel, and Stella flew back to the ship. Then a pair of other mobile suits followed through the hole.

Behind his mask, Neo's eyes narrowed at the white and blue mobile suit. His mind flashed.

_Battle of Orb. First Bloody Valentine War, shooting down Strike Daggers. The Strike…yes, he'd flown the Strike, because Kira had the Freedom-_

"Stop it! Stop the pain, damn you!" Neo's hands were on his masked head. The pain dulled, then faded.

# # #

_Flash_

Kira's eyes widened. Who was this? The thoughts were…chaotic. There was no sense…no sense of self. The brief touch of minds ceased, leaving Kira wide eyed.

# # #

"Captain, they're heading out on there own, and the enemy ship is still out there!" Arthur cried.

"The Impulse's power is critically low, 3 minutes left, at most!" Meryin shouted. "And we can't send it a Deuterium beam if it's on the other side of the colony wall!"

"Launch the Minevra." Talia ordered. The bridge went silent.

"Launch the Minevra." Durandal repeated. The Minevra rocked as it was dropped from the dry dock and let float on its rupulsor lifts. Lines began to drop and retract from the Minevra.

"All hands, brace for launch." Meryin said into the radio.

# # #

"Clear the catapult!" Kira shouted, walking to the Freedom's zip line.

"Hey! I'm the one giving orders here!" Lunamaria called.

"Much good you're doing. Stop playing prisoner detail and get the catapult clear. As soon as this ship is launched, it'll come under attack." Kira said.

"Kira!" Athrun called. Kira dropped into the cockpit and pulled out a number pad. Kira sighed as he entered the code. Freedom's cooling system had been disabled by Kira, to prevent it from being too powerful. As the system came back up, Freedom's heat monitor dropped to the standard 25, just hot enough to maintain nuclear fission.

"Vino! Yolant! Prepare the Port catapult! Ms. Attha, is there anything you need."

"Uh…how about a doctor?" Cagalli asked, weakly. Luna nodded and she and Mayu led Athrun and Cagalli from the catapult room.

"Kira! Be careful!" Lacus called, before leaving the catapult.

# # #

Shinn weaved through the barrage of beam fire as best as he could, but it was coming from everywhere. Rey had moderately more success, even managing to shoot down one of the wired gunbarrels.

Rey boosted backwards, then felt something and turned. The Minevra swerved away from the plants, opening its massive wings.

# # #

"Kira Yamato, Freedom. Launching!" Freedom shot forward, up, and spun, then opened its wings, aiming its beam rifle.

# # #

_Next: Warning Shots_

Please Review.


	3. Warning Shots

Note: you may listen to the Gundam SEED Destiny Opening 'Ignited.' I'm listening to it as I'm typing this.

**Seasnake.765: **The Shinn/Kira section is dead how, exactly?

**Infinite Freedom: **No, all or Junius 7 will fall. It's Ginn HM 2s vs. Freedom. One mobile suit. And the Ginn's have a homefield advantage. Abyss, Gaia, and Chaos will tie up Athrun, Yzak, and Dearka too, so just Rey, Luna, and Mayu will be fighting Ginns. Shinn just sits around drooling as Yzak, Athrun, and Dearka kick some ass he couldn't.

**Insomnia009s:** I intend to.

**Tpolich: **Thank you. I use the # # #s on a lot, or else I use & & &, but they don't always show up. The action is intense only to show that Freedom and Impulse are two mobile suits, (one of them outdated, since Freedom is a First Stage, and second of anything can usually at least match first stage, and Freedom's by itself. No Justice to help him. I just hope this chapter doesn't kill it, after such an intense pair of chapters, but rest assured, the action will resume after this.

_sorry if it took a while, the middle was kicking my ass._

Phase 03: Warning Shots

Neo smiled as he locked onto the Impulse. "Say goodnight." A beam rifle shot the gunbarrel apart. _Flash_ Neo looked to see Freedom flying at him. He barrel rolled the Exus, passing Freedom, and came around, firing the Exus's beam railcannons.

Neo fired one of the gunbarrels behind Freedom. Freedom turned and blocked the shot, then dodged another from the Exus.

'You feel slow, Mu la Flaga. Could it be your losing your touch?' Freedom's pilot asked Neo.

"Wrong guy, buddy. I'm Captain Neo Roanoke. This la Flaga guy sounds dead to me."

# # #

_(The following is complete bullshit.)_

"_How much you bet they can do this for 3 hours?" Shinn asked._

'_A hundred bucks.' Rey replied._

_(3 hours later.)_

"_My god, don't these people ever run out of steam?!" Shinn cried._

'_My god, I am SO broke after this series!' _

"_You're dead after this series!"_

'_Stop giving away spoilers, ya idiot!'_

"_Oh, please, everyone reading this crap has already seen anything Destiny has to offer. Which, other than my hot smexiness, is not much."_

'_How does Luna stand you?!'_

"_Like I said, H-O-T S-M-E-X-I-N-E-S-S."_

_WTF? Back to reality!_

# # #

The Minevra fired three rockets, lighting up Red, Blue, and Green, receptively.

"The return signal? But why?" Shinn asked, panting.

'It's an order.' Rey said. The Zaku and Impulse boosted away.

# # #

"Minevra! Get the ship! I got this peachy." Kira said.

'Bit cocky, aintcha?' Neo asked.

"We both are. We make the impossible, possible." Kira said, smiling.

'I do believe I like you, kid.' The Exus and Freedom returned to battle. The Exus fired its gunbarrels, trying to hit Freedom's back. Freedom spread its wings and flipped over the blast. The Exus fired its linear guns, then boosted past Freedom, withdrawing its remaining two Gunbarrels.

'See ya, Kid.' Neo said, smiling. Kira narrowed his eyes.

"Waltfeld! Launch my Meteor!" Nothing happened.

"Waltfeld! Andrew!" Kira's eyes narrowed. He looked back, and saw the Eternal was out of range. He sighed and boosted after the Minevra.

# # #

'The Exus is back!'

"Withdraw! Leave! Now!" The Girty Lue fired its main engines, pulling away from Armory 1.

# # #

"Lock down the mobile suits, I want to get going as soon as the Freedom's returned!" Talia shouted. "Lower the bridge!" The whole bridge began to lower down a pair of tracks into a second, darker bridge, this one with a complete CIC in a pit before the captain's chair. "Arthur! Stop wasting time!"

"Yes ma'am!" Arthur jumped into his console. "Activate Tristian 1 and 2, activated Isolde, load missile launchers with Nightdarts! Target, Bogey One."

# # #

The Girty Lue rocked as three heavy shells hit its starboard flanks. Stella looked up, worried. Auel eyed her guiltily, then looked back to the ceiling.

"Sorry I used your block word, Stella." Auel said. "Tell you what, when we get to Earth, I'll teach you to swim in the ocean. 'Kay?" Stella's shivering and crying faded slightly, and she smiled at Auel.

"O-okay, Auel."

# # #

Kira stepped out of Freedom angrily and floated down to the walkway. He smiled grimly at Vino and Yolant. "Just get Freedom locked down for now, guys, I'll help you with repairs later, got it?" Yolant nodded.

# # #

Neo entered the bridge. "Sorry for the wait, I got carried away. What's the situation?"

"That new ship of theirs is pursuing, and it appears to be an awfully fast ship. This could be trouble." The captain informed. The Girty Lue rocked as another three rounds struck it.

"Detach all propellant tanks and prepare to detonate them! Leave the arms attached, let them have a taste of that!"

# # #

Explosive bolts popped, and the two wing-like fuel arms detached from the Girty Lue, drifting towards the Minevra.

# # #

Gladys's eyes went wide at the arms. "Break off firing, turn bow sixteen!" As if on cue, the arms exploded, bathing the Minevra's bridge with light. Someone screamed. As soon as the light stopped, "Fire Anti-beam depth charges and activate CIWS. They'll be firing on us now! Find that ship!"

"Found them! Blue 22, Mark 21 Bravo! Distance, 500." Talia growled in frustration.

"That had nerve! Making their escape like that!"

"It appears they're a first class unit."

"All the more reason we should get them back. Imagine those machines in the hands of such a team! It's too late for you to disembark now, Mr. Chairman, and I believe we need to continue after Bogey One."

"There's no need to worry about me, Captain, I'm fine. If we neglected these embers, imagine the blaze, no, the inferno that could happen, frankly, the thought frightens me. I'm coming with you. I'd like to see the task done, myself." Talia nodded.

"Very well. Accelerate 50 percent!" The Minevra's humming increased, and the ship started to accelerate after Bogey One. "Raise the bridge, go to condition yellow." The Bridge began to rise into its original position. Arthur climbed the stairs to stand on the moving platform. A few seconds later, Rey walked in. Durandal gave the boy a smile.

"Chairman?"

"Please use the Captain's cabin, Mr. Chairman. The Minevra prides herself on being a fast ship, but the enemy is no slouch, either. Nothing will happen for a little while, anyway. Rey, please show him to his quarters.

'Ma'am!' Talia looked up to a secondary screen, where Lunamaria was on. 'The battle prevented me from submitting a report earlier, but before we launched we took a unassigned Zaku Warrior into our hangar with three civilians in it, and they claim to be, Cagalli Yula Attha or the Orb Union, Lacus Clyne, and Ms. Attha's personal attendant. I acted alone and had the medics see to them, ma'am. They're currently resting in the officer's cabin. Also, the Freedom's pilot is requesting a meeting with Chairman Durandal.'

Durandal cocked his head sideways. "Hmm…"

# # #

"Why did ZAFT build those new machines?" Kira asked.

"Kira, you of all people should know why ZAFT built those machines. To protect my people." Durandal said, smiling, as he sat down before the standing Kira Yamato.

"Those gundams were not defensive models. I'm not a rookie tank pilot, Mr. Durandal." The door opened behind Durandal, and in stepped Shinn Asuka and Rey za Burrel. Kira gave the pilots a glance and looked back at Durandal.

"So, do you think the EA isn't building new units." Durandal reached into his coat and pulled out a disc. "Rey, please put this into the player." Rey took the disc and did as told. Kira watched as three Mobile suits appeared on screen, one black and white, with large wings and twin beam pistols, the other like the Duel, only the shield was attached to the shoulder, and the last was like the buster, but the original armaments were mounted on its shoulders, and it wielded a pair of large beam rifles in its hands.

"And I'd imagine they have another set of monstrosities waiting to be developed with the technology they now posses from those new machines."

Kira looked back to Durandal. "I'm no soldier for ZAFT. I'm not your sword, I'm Lacus Clyne's, and if you threaten her, I promise you, no matter what connection you had with my parents, I'll kill you with my own hands."

"And _I_," Rey interrupted, moving between Kira and Durandal "am Gilbert Durandal's sword."

Shinn could feel the energy passing between Kira and Rey, wide eyed.

"Kira, you don't have to worry. I will not attempt an assassination on Ms. Clyne."

# # #

"_Athrun!"_

"_Kira!" _

_The Strike blocked the Aegis's beam wristblade, then shoved the blade away and slashed off the Aegis's right arm._

Athrun looked up, eyes snapping open. He looked around. The Minevra. He let out a sigh, and looked over his shoulder, to where Cagalli was watching him, worried.

"It's been two years, and I still haven't gotten past the fact I'm almost killed Kira. I could've gotten you and Lacus killed, too, if it weren't for Kira." Athrun threw his sunglasses to the floor and stood up. "What was wrong with me? I should've been able to help! I…" Cagalli had stood up and put her arms around Athrun's chest.

"You were fine. You got us out." Athrun felt the velvet box against his leg. He'd been meaning to ask her, but couldn't work up the courage. He turned around, undoing Cagalli's embrace. It was now or never, or else he'd never get it done. He reached into his pocket, and pulled his hand halfway out.

"Cagalli…" he looked up at her face, and suddenly he felt his insides go to mush. "This is scarier than I thought…"

"Athrun, you've been on ships before, there's no need to panic."

"Not that!" Athrun barked. He sighed and dropped to one knee. Cagalli just looked down at him. No reaction whatsoever. Athrun gestured her on.

"Uh…" Athrun sighed and pulled out the box and opened it. Cagalli's jaw dropped, eyes going wide. The door opened, and Kira did a double take, then looked from Cagalli to Athrun. Athrun just stared, mortified.

"Uh…I'll just assume Lacus is in the next door down." Athrun, who looked somewhat like he was contemplating murdering Kira again, (successfully this time, he might add,) nodded, smiling. Or, flashing what could be considered for him a smile in his current mood.

Kira closed the door, leaving Athrun and Cagalli. Athrun looked back to Cagalli. Cagalli looked at Athrun and dropped into Athrun's arms.

"Yes!" she cried, smiling and crying. Athrun smiled and looked Cagalli in the eyes, then leaned in, kissing her. Cagalli kissed him back.

# # #

Kira walked into the cabin with Lacus smiling at him from the bed and Haro jumping around yelling. "Wedding, Athrun and Cagalli have wedding!"

"You heard that, huh?" he asked. Lacus nodded. Kira sat down next to her and laid down.

"We're not tying cans to the back of the Izumo, Lacus." Kira said.

"I wasn't even thinking about it!" Lacus said, defensive.

"Or the Strike Rouge."

"Darn it!" Kira sat up, hugged Lacus, and pulled her down with him. He smiled into her bright face.

"Let them plan their own wedding." Lacus smiled again and kissed him.

# # #

Neo looked over the three rejuvenation pods and frowned. Neo had decided long ago that the Extendeds program was unnatural, but he couldn't help it, and all he could do was make sure they knew everything he could teach them.

"_Auel has an attachment to Stella. That could prove dangerous if left unchecked."_ Neo had them leave the emotion intact. And for some reason, he wasn't sure why.

# # #

Shinn walked into Mayu's quarters. He sat down next to his sleeping sister and stroked some hair out of her eyes. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, then left the room, turning off the bedside lamp.

# # #

_Shinn was flying a mobile suit he didn't know. It was brandishing an anti-ship sword that obviously wasn't an Excalibur like the Impulse's. He charged at charged an upgraded Freedom, roaring. As the sword struck the Freedom's cockpit, the dream ended._

Shinn jolted up, sweat covering him. He threw the covers away and got up, wiping the sweat away. He needed to walk. He pulled on a shirt and left his room. He saw Kira's back and stopped.

"Hey, Shinn." Kira said, smiling faintly. Kira turned, barefoot, just like Shinn, to face the younger pilot. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Nightmare. You?"

Kira's smile faded. "When you see your first love's ghost every time you close your eyes, you don't really sleep. You just stay unconscious." Shinn suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"So, you don't really sleep?"

"I've gotten over it recently, it's just…I really don't like sleeping. I just go to sleep with Lacus, sleep a few hours, walk around another few, then go back and sleep a few more, then wake up with Lacus."

"That sounds pretty nice."

# # #

Auel opened his eyes, and instantly looked at Stella's pod. She was still asleep. Auel frowned and sat up.

"Auel." Neo said, drawing Auel's attention. "I know you have feelings for Stella, and for now, you can keep them, but if it at all clouds your judgement, or makes you a hindrance to the team, I'll have them remove it, understand?"

Auel nodded.

# # #

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Princess, but I promise you we will attempt to get you back to Orb if we can," Durandal said, "but I'm afraid recapturing those machines is our first priority. I hope for your understanding in this."

"Of course!" Cagalli said. "Have you been able to find anything useful about that enemy unit yet?"

"Actually, we haven't. To compound matters, we have no information about their carrier, either."

# # #

Luna stepped inside the personal files room and sat down at a computer. Taking a look over her shoulder, she typed in various stats.

One file came up: Zala, Athrun J.

"Athrun Zala?!" Lunamaria said, shocked. She narrowed her eyes, thinking.

# # #

Kira lowered the seat into Freedom, Lacus in his lap, Haro in hers. Lacus shifted to allow Kira to see, and Kira began powering up. He ran a quick systems check and corrected a few mistakes.

"We could take Freedom to Earth, you know?" Kira suggested. "I don't trust Durandal. He may want peace, but there's some reason behind the new Gundams. I just can't figure out what."

Lacus sighed. "What about Athrun and Cagalli?" Kira leaned back, dropping his hands to his sides, and sighed, dipping his head against the headrest. He closed his eyes and started thinking. When he opened them again, the opals were too wide, and his pupils too small. He sighed and deactivated the SEED mode. It'd taken him quite a while to gain control of that.

# # #

"Well, as long as your on board, I'd be glad to give a guided tour of the ship." Durandal said, standing.

"Sir!" Talia cried. Durandal turned to her.

"We are asking them to place their lives in our hands. Surely we can afford some small measure of good faith to our _friends_. Don't worry, Captain, I'll have Rey give the tour."

# # #

Athrun didn't feel very comfortable when the tour took a turn for the mobile suit deck.

# # #

Kira sat up as he felt Rey coming. He elevated the chair so he could see over Freedom's cockpit hatch. Rey led Durandal, Cagalli, and Athrun onto a walkway over looking the mobile suits.

# # #

"The ZGMF-1000. You're probably familiar with it as the Zaku. At present, it is the main mobile suit of ZAFT." Durandal announced, proudly. "Then there's the Impulse, with its unique launch system. You must have seen it in action at the Arsenal. From what our engineers tell me, this a completely new mobile suit system with remarkably high efficiency. But I'll be the first to admit, I don't understand the technical details."

Cagalli didn't say anything. "I take it, you don't much care for it, do you princess." Kira floated over, Lacus's hand in his.

"You seem happy with it, Mr. Chairman." Durandal hesitated.

"'Happy,' isn't the word I would use. It's just been hard for everyone, to have come so far, through so much chaos, and gained so much strength."

"' Such strength…' you said strength would be necessary because there would always be conflict, Mr. Chairman."

"yes."

"Then why would you need it in the first place? We made a vow not to repeat the tragedies of the past! To pave a road we could walk on together!"

# # #

How dare she! How DARE she? After what her father did to Orb? To MY FAMILY! These damn excuses! Why was she always making excuses?

"Making excuses has always been a specialty of the _Atthas_, hasn't it?" Shinn growled, looking over his shoulder at Cagalli.

# # #

Cagalli froze at the hatred behind those red eyes. Kira floated between her and Shinn. Shinn's eyes narrowed. Shinn turned and shot at Kira, fist drawn back. Behind Kira's eyes, a purple seed exploded in a shower of color. Kira ducked the fist, grabbed Shinn's wrist and pulled it behind Shinn's back.

"Gonna defend the idiot's daughter, huh?" Shinn asked. Kira's eyes widened in anger.

"Don't ever call Lord Uzumi Nara Attha an idiot while I'm around. If you want to blame anyone for your parents' death, blame the Atlantic Federation." Shinn's eyes went wide, then narrow again.

"Shut UP!" he kicked out of Kira's grip. "Uzumi let them attack Orb! He could've avoided the war, but what did he do? He let them attack! He let them kill my mom and dad! I HATE HIM!" Kira just shook his head in pity, and turned.

"Don't you turn away from me!" Shinn lunged, kicking out.

'I'll have to thank Alex for this, later,' Kira thought, flipping upside down, and driving his middle knuckle into Shinn's sternum, and flicking the bottom of the breast bone. Shinn's hand went to his chest, gasping.

# # #

"We're picking up a ship! It's Bogey One!" Meryin cried. "It's entering the Debris Belt!"

"Dammit!" Talia cried. "Condition red! Prepare for combat!"

# # #

The alarm sounded. Kira removed his hand from Shinn's breastbone and floated to the walkway. Shinn kicked towards the changing room. Kira floated towards the door.

"Kira?" Athrun cried, surprised Kira wasn't going to Freedom.

Kira looked at Athrun, then Durandal. "This isn't my battle."

# # #

Rey and Luna's Zakus were lowered onto the launch tracks. A Blaze pack was lowered onto the white Zaku Phantom, a Gunner Wizard on the red Warrior.

"Rey za Burrel. Launching!"

Luna closed her helmet. "Lunamaria Hawke, Zaku, I'm heading out." The two Zakus were shot out. Mayu's pink Zaku was dropped onto the tracks, a Blaze Wizard dropped onto her Zaku's back.

# # #

Shinn ran a flight check, then throttled up. The Catapult door opened.

"Shinn Asuka, Core Splendor. Launching!" The Core splendor shot from the catapult, followed by the Chest Flier, Leg Flyer, and the Blast Silhouette-equipped Silhouette Flier.

# # #

"Mayu Asuka. Zaku! Launching!"

# # #

Durandal led Cagalli and Athrun onto the bridge. "Captain, I have a favor to ask. I would like Representative Attha to observe our combat procedures, for her experienced perspective."

Talia opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. "Very well. If that's how you feel about it, Mr. Chairman. Lower the bridge!"

Athrun took a seat, and whole bridge lowered, surprising him.

# # #

Kira watched the four mobile suits become tiny stars, growing ever smaller. He sighed, dropping his head to the edge of the port hole.

"I don't wanna fight. I don't wanna fight."

# # #

"Bogie one…we call it that, but I wonder what it's real name is. It's true name. If something goes by a false name, would it mean, that thing is fake? False by nature? Is that what it would mean?" He turned to Athrun.

"Alex? Or is it _Athrun Zala_?" Athrun's eyes went wide.

# # #

Apologies if this chapter was boring, But I wanted to get it to ten pages, since the last one was short. (Only nine, as opposed to the first one, eleven pages.)

Kira's obviously going to have a problem defending the Minevra, since it opposes why he fought in the last war. I left out a lot of the Alex Dino/Athrun Zala stuff, because I didn't put in the part where Cagalli accidentally called him Athrun, so I had Luna figure it out herself. Durandal also figured it out, since he watched the news. Anyway, Please Review, and if you have any good name suggestions for Volume 2 (this is Volume 1,) please say them.

_Next: Stardust Battlefield_


	4. Stardust Battlefield

You're killin' me, people. Leave some reviews. There are ten people on the alert list, and only six reviews. I should have at least 10 reviews. I _will_ delete this entire story.

Phase 04: Stardust Battlefield 

Shinn nervously ran a weapons check. The Blast Impulse was equipped with a pair of 'Kerberos' Beam cannons, 'Deluge' Railcannons, 'Defiant' beam javelins, and two four-barrel missile launchers, and Impulse's default weaponry and mobile shield.

# # #

"Chairman, he's not-!" Cagalli began.

"There's nothing to worry about. I'm not accusing him of anything." Durandal interrupted, turning back to the main view. "I understand how it happened. It's just, if we're going to talk, I wanted to make sure I was talking to the real you, Athrun. That's all."

# # #

Kira sighed and extended his sixth sense as far as he could. Normally, a newtype kept his sense directed around him, like one would using the Dragoon system or a Moebius Zero. But they could also direct it in a single area. He could feel Rey, Lunamaria, Mayu, and Shinn, they're Gundams, and a few mobile suit's GuAIZ Ls, but no ship. His eyes widened, and he stretched it out, searching everywhere.

"Behind us! Dammit!" he ran for the bridge.

# # #

"Has the ship detected them?" Arthur asked.

"No, sir." Athrun narrowed his eyes. They were within a few hundred, the sensors should've picked them up by now. He briefly considered damage, but that didn't seem possible, it was like the ship and every sensor on it was blinded. The Minevra hadn't landed a hit.

Wait a minute. What if that ship was blind? The ship couldn't be blind. But a decoy could.

"Son of a bitch! A decoy!" Athrun shouted, leaning forward.

# # #

Sting grinned. "Let's go." The three Extendeds suddenly shot from the rubble, firing.

# # #

"Scatter!" Shinn cried. The Mobile suits blasted apart, firing. The GuAIZ Ls were immediately lost to Chaos's dragoons.

'Damn! They've already taken out two of us!' Lunamaria cried. She and Mayu were boosting away from Gaia, firing their beam rifles.

"Rey! Get Chaos! I'll take Abyss!" Shinn reversed thrust, and brought out the Impulse's twin 'Kerberos' beam cannons. He fired. Abyss dodged, and the beam hit the solar panel behind. The beam cut right through the wall of glass.

# # #

"What the hell?!" Auel cried. He fired Abyss's Callidus.

# # #

Shinn aimed one Kerberos at the incoming beam and fired. The two met, Abyss's Callidus pushing forward, then started to slow, then stopped dead before the Kerberos's muzzle. Then it reversed.

# # #

Auel's eyes went wide. He dodged the incoming blast and fired his triple beam cannons. The Impulse dodged. Auel was a little shocked. Just one of that suit's cannons had overpowered the Callidus at its max, and that was the Abyss's main weapon!

# # #

Rey and Sting both fired their missiles. Rey spun, firing his verniers, detonating the missiles with his exhaust. Sting did it with CIWS. Sting gritted his teeth and drew a beam saber. Rey charged. Sting raised both brows. He returned the charge and swung. The Zaku disappeared mid swing.

"What?" Rey's Zaku appeared behind the Chaos, and fired its beam rifle. Chaos turned, bringing its shield to bear, and blocked the blast.

"The Yamato Reversal, compliments of Rey za Burrel." Rey announced, firing his beam rifle again.

"You damn show off!" Sting growled, switching Chaos to mobile armor mode, and fired its Callidus Kai cannon. The Zaku dodged.

# # #

"Rey, the Yamato Reversal uses a melee weapon." Shinn declared, annoyed. If you were gonna pull a renowned maneuver, use it right. He switched the 'Deluge railcannons to rapid fire and began spitting rounds at Abyss.

# # #

Kira slammed his fist on the door. Then the ship rocked from the beam cannon miss. He gritted his teeth and ran for the nearest elevator.

# # #

"Ma'am! The Freedom is launching!" Meryin called. Durandal smiled. Athrun's eyes went wide. Cagalli shouted as the ship rocked again, but noticed Athrun leaned forward, his hands gripping the arms of the chair like the control sticks of a mobile suit.

"Can we launch a suit? Doesn't this ship carry more mobile suits?" Durandal asked.

"We've run out of pilots!" Talia shouted over her shoulder, just as the ship rocked again.

Athrun's eyes went wide.

# # #

Kira drew a beam saber and shot at the Girty Lue, carving through its top Gottfrieds. A quartet of explosive rounds struck the Freedom, knocking it down. Kira looked at the pair of Doppelhorn Dagger Ls. He turned Freedom and opened its Baileena beam cannons and Xiphias rail guns. He locked onto the cannons on their shoulders and fired.

The attacks stripped the Dagger Ls of their striker pack-mounted weapons. They aimed and began firing beam carbines. Kira blocked with his shield and boosted at them. He slashed off the left Dagger L's carbine arm, and cut off its head, turned, then did the same to the other. He boosted towards the battle.

# # #

Shinn fired his quartet of missiles at Gaia and Chaos. Gaia shot one before taking cover, Chaos using its CIWS. A beam tomahawk cut through its beam rifle, and Shinn looked to who had thrown it.

Mayu's pink Zaku dodged Abyss's triple beam cannons and fired its beam rifle.

"Nice shot, sis." Shinn said, smiling.

'Thanks Shinn!'

# # #

Lunamaria turned to face the pursuing Gaia, unfolding her Zaku's 'Orthos' beam cannon. She aimed.

"Who do you think you are, anyway?" She said, and fired. Gaia jumped over the blast and boosted back at Luna's Zaku. "You're nothing but thieves!"

"You're finished." Stella said, coldly. Freedom was suddenly between Gaia and the Zaku, and knocked Gaia away with Freedom's shield.

# # #

"Kira!" Shinn cried.

'Get back to the Minevra and defend it. You guys won't last long without a ship. I'll handle these three.' Kira said. The three Zakus boosted away.

"I'm not letting you have all the fun!" Shinn cried, enraged. He fired his beam cannons at Abyss and Chaos. The two suits dodged.

# # #

Freedom slashed at Gaia, who jumped over the attack. "Fun?" He dodged Gaia's counterattack. "You think I had fun, trying to kill my best friend?" He blasted all four cannons at Chaos, forcing it to dodge. "War is never _FUN_!" Behind his eyes, a purple seed burst. Kira's opals expanded, and his pupils shrunk. He opened Freedom's beam cannons and railguns, and locked onto every piece of debris nearby. Kira unleashed a barrage of fire, coating the whole area in smoke and pieces of glass. Kira closed his eyes.

# # #

Auel looked around. "Man, I can't see a damn thing! Switching to infared!" the whole screen turned blue, with a red humanoid shape lunging at him, a white pillar in its hand. Auel cried out.

# # #

"Auel!" Sting cried. He switched infared just in time to see a white and red blur. Then his screens went to static. "What the hell?!"

# # #

Stella switched to infared. A pair of bright white cones emerged from a central source. Suddenly, her beam blades didn't respond. "Huh?" The red figure lunged at her, a pillar of white held ready. She screamed.

# # #

Shinn's eyes widened as the smoke cleared. Freedom stood in the middle of the three gundams, the only one intact. Chaos's head had been severed, Abyss no longer had legs, and Gaia had lost both beam blades and all four legs.

"What the hell was that?!" he cried.

# # #

Neo gritted his teeth. "Fire a signal flare, call them back. I'll handle him myself." He got up and left the bridge.

# # #

Kira opened his eyes. _Flash_ He gritted his teeth. "Him." He boosted away, leaving the Impulse. He noticed the Minevra had been trapped by several large rocks. He quickly blasted them with Freedom's railguns, then moved on. He felt the gunbarrel fire, and barrel rolled, dodging a pair of beams. The pink mobile armor spun, launching all of its gunbarrels, firing its main guns.

Kira dodged the linear gun shots and fired his beam rifle. He dodged the spiderweb of beams, shooting up into the many asteroids. The mobile armor chased him, firing its beams all over the place, narrowly missing Freedom. Kira turned and set his railguns to rapid fire, spitting out a barrage of yellow comets.

# # #

Neo dodged the shots and recalled his gunbarrels, shooting past Freedom. He launched them again and had them suicide run the mobile suit, beam blades snapping up on every one. Freedom fired its heavy guns, destroying all the gunbarrels. Neo just stared, mouth open.

# # #

"Who ever you are, you can't beat me, _Mu la Flaga_." Kira said. He noted that he sounded a lot like Rau.

# # #

"_Tell me, can you sense my presence? Can you sense it in the same way I sense yours? An unfortunate fate, wouldn't you say, _Mu la Flaga_?"_

"God! Who is this Mu la Flaga?! I'm _Neo Roanoke_! _NEO ROANOKE_, you bastard!!" Neo cried, holding his head. Neo's hands shot to the Exus's controls, and he shot away, back towards the Girty Lue. Neo made a promise, he'd never face that winged suit if he couldn't help it. That bastard piloting it-.

"_So, you're a-" "Oh, this kid…" "A coordinator, -" "We're not murderers!" "Right?" _It felt like years later the cockpit hatch opened, and in looked a tech. Neo was rubbing his head, desperately clawing at it, as if he could get the nightmares out.

"Uh…captain?" Neo's head shot up, out of his hands. He shook his head and got out of the Exus. He walked out of the hangar and waited until the door closed, then punched the wall. He cracked a knuckle, blood leaking from a cut, but he welcomed the pain, concentrating on it.

"You are Neo Roanoke, captain in Phantom Pain."

_Not really,_ The ghost in the back of his head whispered. Neo ignored it. (God, I write a really good psychotic, don't I?)

# # #

The Minevra suddenly blasted (literally) away from the asteroid, turning around on the Girty Lue.

"Prepare to fire!" Talia cried.

"Aiming Tanhauser! Charging…" Arthur said, as a snub-nosed weapon emerged from the Minevra's bow. They would only have one shot, and the Tanhauser Positron beam cannon would do more damage than the Isolde or Tristians in one shot.

"Charged!"

"Fire!"

The Tanhauser lit up, a small laser emerging from the muzzle. Then, a micro second later, the small, insignificant laser beam a beam wider than twice the width of the weapon. The blue and white beam burned a graze off of the Girty Lue's bridge and starboard engines, before ceasing, leaving the ship limping, its wounds smoking as it passed the Minevra. Normally the ships would attempt to broad side each other, but both were too damaged to even launch missiles to hit each other.

# # #

Kira looked up, his cheeks streaked with tears. "W-why? Why do they have to destroy each other?"

_The flash of the Skygrasper as it exploded lit up the battlefield. _

_Watching the Strike take the Lohengrin blast for the Archangel, Mu dying to save his love, and in the process breaking her heart…_

_The Aegis gave a flash, then exploded, enveloping the Strike in a fireball, propelling Kira, parts of his body burning, over three hundred feet, maybe even a mile…_

The shuttle from the Menalos…

He reluctantly flew towards the Minevra.

# # #

Durandal just stared at the playback of Freedom, and Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss, being revealed by the pink curtain of gases. He replayed the source of the smoke screen, watching the mission clock.

Freedom had disabled three of ZAFT's second stage units in just under three minutes.

'Could Kira be the one?' Durandal pondered. 'Could I use him?' Kira was reasonable, and he wanted peace. Durandal considered the possibilities.

_I doubt he would accept your proposal, Gil. _Rau said from the back of Gilbert's mind.

'In time, Rau. In time.'

# # #

Meryin walked out of the bridge and into the hall. She caught sight of Lunamaria and smiled.

"Shinn! Lunamaria! Rey! Mayu!" she called. She floated near them, Luna catching her by the hand. "You'll never guess who is with Representative Attha!"

"Athrun Zala?" The pilots chorused, not surprised.

"What the hell?"

# # #

"Doesn't the ship carry more mobile suits?"

"_We've run out of pilots!"_

Athrun dropped his eyes to the floor. He heard talking, and looked up.

"You know, I can totally understand why he'd want to change his name like that." Meryin said.

"What? Whatever the reason, he's a top ZAFT-" the small group saw Athrun's glare and instantly shut up, Meryin crying out and hiding behind Shinn and Rey. "Hey! We were just talking about you, Athrun Zala, and presto, here you are!" Lunamaria said. Athrun didn't like the overconfidence in her voice. "Isn't that funny how that sometimes happens?" she asked, walking over.

"Not really." Athrun growled. "Not in the mood I'm in."

"Well, it's really an honor to meet a legendary ace, like you."

"Wrong guy. My name is Alex Dino."

"Really? So how did Justice handle? Better than a CGUE? I'm assuming you've flown a CGUE." Luna asked.

"Yes, I flew a CGUE." Athrun realized too late it was a trap. He sighed. "Look, I just want to be left alone. But to answer your question, it handled a little more like a DINN."

"Wow. It must've been amazing to fly it in the war."

"I had to shoot my own father!" Athrun cried. "He was a good man once! He loved the plants, then the Earth Alliance killed my mother, and he became worse than the monsters that killed her, and I had to shoot him! How would you feel, I wonder, if you had to shoot your own sister, or your brother, or your parents?! Well, I know how it feels, and you don't ever want to experience that, girl." Athrun was panting when he finished. He looked to the ground.

"Go away." He muttered. Pleaded. Shinn and Rey turned and left, followed by Lunamaria, then Meryin. Mayu walked closer. Athrun looked back up, tears in his eyes. Mayu reached out and touched his shoulder.

"I'm…sorry. I lost my mother, too." Athrun smiled. He looked at Mayu.

"You're Shinn's sister, aren't you? What's…what's with him?" Mayu sat down next to Athrun.

"He…I don't know. I can't tell if he hates himself, the Atthas, the Earth Forces, I just can't tell anymore." Athrun's smile faded.

"Maybe…all three." Mayu looked at Athrun, surprised. "I hated everything after I thought I killed Kira. If I had, my mother would've never forgiven me."

"But you didn't." Kira said, smiling. Athrun looked up and smiled. Kira looked at Mayu. "We knew each other since before birth. Our moms knew each other from a while back. They tried to get together whenever they could." He looked back to Athrun. "Remember your twelfth birthday?"

"Oh, please, Kira, we don't need her sputtering gibberish for the rest of her life, Shinn'd kill us." Athrun pleaded.

"Oh, it wasn't that bad. Our moms threw a surprise party, and Athrun had been drinking too much soda," Athrun groaned and muttered a prayer to god, "and when the jumped out, Athrun's dad grabbed Athrun's shoulders so fast, Athrun peed himself right there, in the front door." Mayu started laughing hysterically. Athrun shook his head, embarrassed.

"**What the hell?!"** Shinn cried. Kira and Athrun looked to see Shinn staring, mouth open. He ran in and grabbed Mayu's hand. "Stop flirting with my sister!" he roared, then dragged her out. Kira and Athrun looked to the empty doorway, to each other, then back to the doorway.

# # #

Lacus inspected the ring. She sat straight again. "This ring…it was Athrun's Mother's." Cagalli looked at the ring, surprised.

"He must really love you, to give you the last thing he has of his mother." Lacus said, smiling. Haro jumped into her lap.

'Yeah, really love! Really love!' Cagalli smiled.

"I like it." Cagalli said. Lacus smiled wider, tilting her head to one side.

# # #

'How are the motors going?' The Ginn High Maneuver II moved way for a Mistral space worker mobile armor.

'They're just setting the last of them.'

'Make them hurry.' The Mistral placed a device against the spire of twisted metal and tapped two buttons, then backed away.

'Flare Motor Ignition in 5, 4, 3, 2, …particle flux detected.' The device let off a red light. Across the colony, thousands, millions, perhaps tens of millions of red lights lit up, propelling the graveyard forwards, towards its target.

Earth.

# # #

"Kristine…Helen. We'll be reunited…after this." Junius Seven began to accelerate, crashing through asteroids.

Sato's eyes went wide. "Now FALL! Our great tombstone! Fall! On a world that has forgotten the pain and suffering and chooses to wallow in deceit, FALL!! The Hour of Correction is near at hand!"

# # #

"Huh? That can't be right."

"No, I've checked it several times. It's definitely moving."

"How in the hell is it moving? It's not even near the gravity well…"

"Look, I'm just telling you what this satellite signal is telling me, the damn thing's moving, okay?"

"Jeez, calm down. But how could Junius 7 be moving?"

# # #

The white haired commander ran his hand across the place where a year ago a massive scar had been, then sighed and went back to his book. The door chime rang, and in stepped a green coat with dark skin and dusty blonde hair.

"What is it?"

"We're getting' a report from the home land. It says Junius 7 is moving."

"Which direction?" Dearka Elsman paused before answering.

"Well, anyone sunbathing tomorrow'll be able to get a real good look, let's put it that way." Yzak turned into his desk and took the report.

"Mirillia rubbed off on you more than I thought." He muttered. "Can't give me a straight an…swer…. Has this been confirmed?"

"Not yet."

"Well, set up a GINN L-Double-R and have the pilot confirm it! C'mon, Dearka, move!"

"Sir!" Dearka ran from the office.

Yzak leaned back in his chair, looking over the report. "Well, I guess it really is the end of the world."

# # #

God! Another shorty! Dammit. Oh, well. I guess I'll have to live with it. I'm afraid Episode 6 will really start the AU, because I've only seen the first volume of Gundam SEED Destiny.

Anyway, the second volume Title will be Impulse's Anger unless I come up with something else, or I like a suggestion from somebody else.

_Next: Scars that Won't heal_


	5. Scars that Won't Heal

**Review Replies:** I know It's reduntant, but I feel like doing 'em anyway.

**Infinite Freedom:** As You'll see, I'm saving Destiny's Blade for later. Kira taking down the Extendeds so quick was pretty cool, I think it might've been Scorpion King-inspired, but it was a cool thing, and also shows that Kira has no qualms about being careful anymore, and he's also a lot more powerful than he was in SEED. He doesn't kill the terrorists, but as you're about to see, he does make a mess out of their plans. I think Yzak and Kira are a bit more friendly than in SEED, too, so no fits from Yzak. (Sadly.) No more emberrassing stories 'bout Athrun, though.

**Tpolich:** Kira and Lacus aren't married, but they moved in together, sleep together, and probably did the deed sometime. and yes, I wrote Neo's psycho thing from personal experience. (Weird story, be prepared.) I actually got hit on the head with a basketball, (I hate PE,) and I thought I was having delusions of a girl asking me out. Luckily, I'm just as sane as I was when I was born. wow, that's really reassuring...

**Insomnia009s:** I'm also looking forward to it. You kinda have to look at it to write it...LOL. (I'm kidding, put the abnormally large weapon down, I'm just kidding.)

**Sony Ninja:** Big words? You call this stuff big words? Shinn and Rey live, and Shinn basically becomes Darth Vader, pre lava melting. (Although I can imagine Shinn screaming "I hate you!" at Kira repeatedly while crawling up a black hill with one arm. And Mu's shouting "Use the force, Kira!" May have Athrun call Durandal Emperor Palpatine at some point.) I have no idea what I'm going to do with Mayu. Hell, I don't think she launches at the end of this chapter! Gasp!

Phase 05: Scars that won't Heal

_The Strike's head melted in the face of the powerful Lohengrin beam cannon. "I'm the man who can make the impossible, possible." Mu said, right before the Strike was engulfed by the powerful beam._

Neo shook his head and got back to his paperwork. Normally he hated the stuff, but he needed to keep busy. He couldn't let the dreams cloud his mind. The buzzer sounded. Neo pressed the talk button.

"What is it?"

# # #

The supreme council chamber was thundering with voices, people running around, hectic.

"Junius Seven is moving?"

"Have we contacted the Chairman on the Minevra?"

"How do we tell Earth about this?"

# # #

"How unprecedented. A scenario for the Destruction of Earth." The many lords and officials were sitting around a large billiards table, a few playing the game itself. "I don't think I'm being overly dramatic when I say, this incident has me completely shocked. Junius Seven? But how can this be?"

"Cut to the chase, we'll you?" One of the men called to the silver-haired speaker.

"No, that's the whole point. When the shattered, grieving population crawls back to its feet after that thing hits, what really matters is what we tell them. We going to give them the 'best' answer. It may be the right answer, but if it isn't, who will they believe?"

"Durandal of the Plants already issued a press release on the crisis. He was quick to do so…."

"Even better." Lord Djibril smiled. "Gentlemen, the reason I brought you here was to ask for your collective approval of such a course of action. I've ordered Phantom Pain to return, just in case."

The room was silent. "Ah…I see."

"The resulting hatred for the Coordinators will get the people fired up. They will fight. And we will win. And I have a bit of a big stick myself. Suffice to say, it's not complete yet, but I assure, the requiem will play." Djibril raised one slender brow, smiling wider.

No one spoke, but the smiles among the crowd spoke volumes.

"Well, if no one objects?"

"You may proceed, Djibril."

Djibril gave a stiff bow. "For the preservation of our blue and pure world…"

"For the preservation of our blue and pure world." The crowd replied.

# # #

"We've already confirmed the reports." Durandal announced, for once not smiling. Kira narrowed his eyes and looked back to the table. He briefly considered if Durandal had orchestrated this.

"Confirmed? How can something like this happen? The remains were supposed to be in an orbit that was stable for hundreds of years."

"Perhaps a collision with a meteor, or some other external factor. In any event, it is moving, and on the most dangerous course."

"What'll happen…if it strikes Orb? Or Earth?" Cagalli asked. Kira's opened.

"You already know the answer, Cagalli. You know what happens when something that big hits Earth." Kira said. "This sounds like something Rau would've done."

"What's matters is, how do we stop it?"

"Break it up." Kira, Athrun, and Rey chorused. Durandal stared, wide eyed.

"Break it up? Junius 7?" Durandal asked, unbelieving.

"Haven't you ever seen Armageddon?" Kira asked.

"But, even if you successfully broke it in half, that's still…" Talia broke off, calculating.

"Four cubic kilometers." Kira said. "About a billion and half metric tons."

"We've reestablished contact with the homeland. They're already sending the Voltaire and Rousseau with meteor breakers. The Minevra will be along once repairs are done. But it means we can't recover the stolen machines." Durandal said.

"Maybe that's for the better." Kira muttered. Rey gave Kira a glare.

"Mr. Yamato, I hardly feel this is the appropriate time, but perhaps at a later date we can discuss the need for those new machines." Durandal offered. Kira nodded.

# # #

Cagalli swerved in front of Kira in the hallway. "What is it with you, Kira? Do you love fighting that much, you're willing to risk a war to prevent them from building new models?"

"It's a betrayal to their memory! Mu, Flay, Aisha, Juri, Mayura, Asagi, all of them! They died for this peace, and I won't let Durandal betray their sacrifices for some fancy machines. The gundam was built to end war, not start it!" Kira cried.

"The war's already begun. The battles just haven't begun. If we shatter Junius 7, that'll still leave a hail shower of fragments that will cause a hell of a lot of damage. Blue Cosmos will still hate Coordinators, and they'll use Junius 7 as an excuse." Athrun said, eyes low.

No one said anything.

"That's why I'm going to slow it down. Freedom's engines should be powerful enough." Kira said. Cagalli and Athrun looked up, eyes wide.

"Kira! You can't be serious! What if you're attacked?"

"That Earth Alliance ship's gone, so anything launched against me won't be able to match Freedom, much less damage it."

"But the repairs are almost done!" Cagalli shouted.

"Cagalli, if you had the power to stop it, and you just did nothing, what would that leave you? I can do my part."

Athrun chuckled, shaking his head. "You never thinks things through, do you?"

Kira smiled, turning to Athrun. "It's one of my better points. Take care of Lacus, won't you?" Athrun smiled and nodded.

# # #

Kira flipped switches, preparing Freedom to launch.

"But what if you can't stop it?"

Kira gripped both control sticks. "I'll stop it. I have to." He throttled up, and shot from the launch ramp. As he cleared the catapult, he barrel rolled and opened Freedom's wings, and lanced at the stars, leaving a blue trail.

# # #

"Look at the size of that thing. It's enormous." Dearka said.

"They have to be big, Dearka, we live on these things, remember?" Dearka frowned.

"The mission we're on is very important. I was commenting on its size because it reminded me of just how important." Dearka moved to the lift. Yzak turned.

"Dearka, we don't have a lot of time. Let's get this right! The Minevra's on her way. Let's show 'em why we're the Joule team."

Dearka grinned. "I didn't know you were launching, boss." Yzak's look could've won the last war if looks could kill. "We'll pull it off without a hitch."

# # #

Athrun sat up, suddenly, and looked at Cagalli. Fast asleep. He smiled and stroked a stray curl out of her face.

"Everybody's fighting but me. Is it fair that I've lived so long, when so many others have died, and then I run away like a coward?" He got up and left the room.

# # #

Dearka boosted up to his counterpart from the Fauns team.

"How are things progressing?" Dearka asked, setting his Zaku's beam rifle on its back.

"We've hit land, but the metal shell's making things diff-" The lieutenant was interrupted by a beam suddenly going through the head of his GuAIZ R. Dearka turned as the suit exploded, eyes going wide, drawing the suit's Orthos. He caught aim and fired. The Ginn HM 2 dodged and fired back. Dearka blocked. A flash of green caught his eye, and he watched as several GuAIZ Rs priming the meteor breakers were suddenly shot down.

"Hey, antenna heads!" Dearka called over his radio. He primed a grenade. "Think fast!" The grenade flashed, and Dearka closed his eyes as the battlefield went white. He opened his eyes and began shooting down the Ginns. They were firing back before too long, however.

# # #

"Who are they? Who do they belong to?" Yzak shouted.

"Unknown! No IFF or FOF response!"

"Pirates?!" Yzak growled. "Dearka! Hold them off for as long as you can! We're sending out beam rifles!"

'You better be quick about it!' Dearka shouted.

# # #

"Take of your sister. I can barely take care of my own self." Shinn let out a breath and laid down, feeling exhausted. The door swished open, and in walked Lunamaria, who saw Shinn and sat down next to him.

The two hadn't really dated, but Shinn knew something was there.

"You okay?" Luna asked, grinning. Shinn gave her a bored glare. He sighed and looked back to the ceiling.

"I wish…I wish my parents were here. Between taking care of Mayu, and Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss, and now Junius Seven, I just…I'm exhausted."

Lunamaria thought for a second. "Exactly how exhausted." Shinn looked at her, then looked her up and down.

"Not that exhausted, just make sure you lock the door." Shinn pulled off his red coat.

# # #

Athrun stepped into Lacus's room. Lacus looked up and saw Athrun's brooding expression.

"Is something the matter, Athrun?" she asked, standing up from the chair.

"I…I don't…" he stopped. "Malchio said, 'There will come a time when you know where you'll be going. Then you will know what you should be doing.' But I don't know where I should be going. I swore I'd never pilot another mobile suit after I destroyed Justice. I broke that oath. I swore I'd never fight in a war again. And it seems like I'll break that, too. I know I'll need to become a soldier again, but I don't know which side I should fight for." Lacus sat down on the bed.

"Do you still bear the seed?" Lacus asked.

"No." Athrun finally answered. "Maybe. I can't tell."

"I think you still do. In that case, simply trust in the seed and let things happen, and you'll know what you should be doing. Follow your feelings."

# # #

The Minevra's engines flared to life, and it shot forward, whole once again.

# # #

Athrun stepped onto the bridge. He walked behind the chair he'd sat in earlier.

"Something the matter, Athrun? Sorry, I meant Alex." Durandal asked, turning. Athrun gave the chairman a glance, pondering at his not-so-thrilled tone, then looked to Captain Gladys, who had turned to face him.

"I know how difficult this must be, but I'd like to borrow one of your mobile suits. Please."

"That is difficult," Gladys said. "Do you honestly think I could give such permission to a foreign civilian? You would be putting to risk all of Chairwoman Canavier's actions to date." Athrun frowned.

"Ma'am, I need a suit. I need to help with Junius Seven's break up."

"I understand, but-"

"It's all right! I'll approve it," Durandal interrupted. "This isn't a combat situation, Talia. And we know how skillful a pilot he is. If I ever fill out any paperwork, how do you spell 'Dino?'" Athrun smiled and nodded his gratitude at the Chairman.

"Well, find a pilot suit, and familiarize yourself with your machine." Talia said, turning back to the view screen. "We have a spare Zaku in the hold."

# # #

Kira dropped Freedom out of Hi-mat. A battle? He scanned the targets. Ginns and GuAIZ Rs, and one Zaku. He opened Freedom's wings and charged.

# # #

Dearka blasted off a Ginn's head and turned to see Freedom.

"Kira?!" he shouted, surprised. He scanned the channels. "Freedom, do you copy?"

'Dearka?'

"Yeah! What are you doing here?"

'I was here to help you guys.' Dearka grinned.

"Well, start blasting."

# # #

Sato saw Freedom approaching, eyes wide. "It's here! Flock it with the Mistrals!"

From all around, tens of Mistral mobile pods launched at Freedom, firing machine guns. Freedom's armor was sparking all over, deflecting bullets. Then it was gone. Sato looked around, and saw it flying out of the moon, and unfolded its main guns. A sky's worth of stars erupted around Freedom, disabling every Mistral its weaponry fired at. Sato stared, terrified. Freedom turned to his Ginn and charged. Sato shouted out and reversed, firing his mobile suit's beam carbine. Freedom drew a beam saber, dodging, and cut off the beam carbine barrel with a quick slash.

Sato drew his Ginn's katana-like anti-armor sword and charged. He slashed out. Freedom turned as if it saw out of the back of its head and blocked the weapon. Sato thanked his foresight in upgrading his weapon in anti-beam coating. Freedom knocked the weapon away. Sato moved to slash again. Freedom slashed out with its shield, shattering the weapon at the hilt.

# # #

Kira kicked away the Ginn HM 2 and targeted the rest with Full Burst. All 50 Ginns aimed at Freedom. Kira unfolded the Baileena beam cannons and Xiphias railguns. He fired.

# # #

"We have Junius Seven on scope." Meryin announced.

"On screen." Talia ordered. The remains of the colony, (the bottom dish,) were superimposed on the large viewscreen as it folded down from the ceiling. The small sparks made Talia frown. "What's that flashing?"

"We can't tell."

"Looks like beam weapon fire." Shinn commented. "A battle?"

# # #

Neo watched the battle, puzzled. Some kind of GINN variants were battling with GuAIZ Rs and a single Zaku. Neo noted that the winged mobile suit was there.

"Now this is interesting…record all data streams. And prepare to send out Sting's team."

# # #

Lunamaria floated up to her Zaku's cockpit, followed closely by Yolant. She stopped at the Zaku's cockpit and turned to Yolant.

"I know we're supporting teams breaking it up, but what does that mean?" Lunamaria asked.

"Well, I heard that guy was going, so I guess it's better to have too many machines than not enough." Yolant looked to a red-suited pilot was stepping into the Zaku. Lunamaria looked and her eyes went wide.

"Athrun Zala? Well, I guess he does know how to pilot mobile suits."

# # #

Shinn looked up at Vino, surprised.

"That guy's coming?"

# # #

Rey shrugged at the news and simply sat in the cockpit, looking thoughtful.

# # #

"The Joule Team is under fire!' Meryin shouted. "Confirming, beam weaponry. Aborting launch to reequip mobile suits."

Talia nodded.

# # #

'Abort launch! All mobile suits are to re –equip for anti-mobile suit combat! The Joule team is under fire!'

"Yzak?" Athrun said, surprised. A beam rifle was placed in his Zaku's hand, and a shoulder shield was hooked to his Zaku's left shoulder. "Bridge? What's going on?" He looked up at Meyrin's voice. He growled at the Zaku's unfamiliar cockpit, then looked at the screen.

'We don't know, but your mission is still to support the Joule team. After you've re-equipped, go ahead and launch.'

# # #

"'Not a combat situation,' my ass." Talia growled at Durandal.

"Blame the enemy. And it's still lovely, my dear."

"Ass."

# # #

'The situation has changed a little. It could be dangerous.' Lunamaria teased. Athrun didn't say anything.

'It's not too late to back out.'

"I've pulled a thirty-G figure eight in a DINN. Almost blacked out and crashed, too. Have you?" Lunamaria just stared, eyes wide. "Then show some respect."

# # #

"Shinn Asuka, core splendor, launching!" Shinn throttled up and the core splendor shot forward, followed by the thee Fliers, including the Force Silhouette.

# # #

"Rey za Burrel. Launching!" The Zaku Phantom jerked forward, its blaze pack igniting.

# # #

Luna closed her visor. "Lunamaria Hawke, Zaku. I'm heading out."

# # #

Athrun let the machine drop him onto the launch tracks and lower a Blaze Pack onto the Zaku's back.

'So, ZAFT's Crimson Knight rides again?' Durandal asked over the radio. Athrun smiled.

"Absolutely. Athrun Zala, Launching!" The catapult was sucked away quicker than Athrun could blink, and he was in space. He fired his boosters, and took off, barrel rolling to the battle field.

# # #

A trio of Ginns fired at Freedom. Kira blocked and boosted up, spinning and opened Freedom's wings, going into Hi-mat mode.

He and Athrun had gotten nicknames from the frontline troops that he and Athrun had taken nicely too, although they rarely used them. Kira's SEED mode eyes narrowed.

Tonight the White Angel flew again. He drew a beam saber and charged.

# # #

"White Angel and Crimson Knight." Durandal mused, thoughtful. "I wonder if it was Destiny that chose them for those roles, or if they chose that path. It makes one wonder…what choice is there?"

Meyrin looked from Durandal to her screen. "Ma'am! We're reading Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss launching. Bogie one is here!"

Durandal smirked. "The End of the World."

# # #

Next: The End of the World!

_In: Gundam SEED Destiny: Impulse's Rage_


	6. The End of the World

**Gundam SEED Destiny: Impulse's Rage**

_Summary: The Tombstone is falling to Earth. The End of the World is only a few people away, and the roar of weapon fire once again disrupts the heavens._

_Sorry for the long wait, but pulling off this chapter was more difficult than I thought, I saw the episode once on Youtube and I had to make a whole chapter from just that. Luckily I managed to get in 8 and a half pages, so you better like it._

_Phase 06: The End of the World_

Several beam rifles were shot from the Voltaire. One fell into the waiting hand of a GuAIZ R as it was about to be destroyed, and turned the tables on a GINN HM2.

# # #

"Who are these guys? They're frickin' experts!" Dearka shouted, just as he blasted a GINN, only to have the machine dodge. Dearka quickly drew his quicker beam rifle and put a blast through its head.

Two beam cannon and railgun blasts each took out a Ginn. Dearka looked, surprised. His eyes widened.

"Freedom!"

# # #

Sato sneered as Freedom entered the battle and charged, drawing his Ginn's sword. He was right in Freedom's face when he swung, aiming at Freedom's head. The katana-like sword snapped like a twig over Freedom's head. The suit promptly head butted Sato's GINN into another GINN.

Freedom opened its rail guns and beam cannons, aiming. Sato put the other GINN between him and Freedom, just as it fired. The GINN in front of Sato blew up. Sato charged, reached out, and grabbed Freedom's Lacerta beam saber.

# # #

Kira drew his last beam saber and cut off the GINN's hand at the wrist, then took both beam sabers and slashed out. The GINN blocked.

"Dammit!"

# # #

Yzak's Zaku shot forward, beam rifle in hand. He fired twice, taking down two GINN HM2s, then moved on. Yzak saw a GuAIZ and GINN obliterated by nine beams. He looked to the source.

"Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss!"

# # #

"The gundams from Armory 1!" Dearka shouted. He aimed his Orthos beam cannon. He fired. Chaos blocked the blast. "Figured it wouldn't be that easy."

'Then why'd you try it, dumbass!' Yzak shouted. Dearka sighed.

"All of a sudden I miss Rusty." (Pity he's not alive, I liked him. Not like that, you sickos.) He boosted at a GINN and blasted it point blank.

# # #

Athrun boosted for Freedom. Freedom turned and shot a GINN closing in on Athrun's Zaku. Athrun blasted another GINN and moved on. Freedom engaged Hi-MAT mode and shot forward.

# # #

_Flash _

Kira felt her. The blonde girl. He boosted in that direction. Suddenly, Gaia blasted at him. He blocked and drew a beam saber, charging. Gaia drew one of its beam sabers. Kira slashed. Gaia flew over and behind him, and charged again. Kira boosted backwards and elbowed Gaia in the face.

"Using my own moves against me…" he muttered, shaking his head. He turned and locked blades with Gaia. _Flash_ Kira dodged over Chaos's lunge and unfolded Freedom's railguns, firing. Both suits went flying.

# # #

Cagalli walked into Lacus's room and looked around. Lacus looked up and saw her worried expression.

"Is something wrong, Cagalli?"

"I can't find Athrun. Do you know where he went?"

"No." Lacus said. "But wherever he is, I'm sure he's doing what he thinks is right, at least."

"That helped me a lot." Cagalli said, sarcastically. Cagalli walked out. Lacus looked to Haro.

"Should we help her find Athrun, Mr. Pink?"

"_Haro's fine!"_ Lacus sighed.

"Kira really needs to add more words to this little guy's vocabulary." Lacus got up and followed Cagalli out, followed by Haro. The door closed right after Lacus, however, and the Haro bounced off and rolled.

"_Dammit!" _

# # #

Kira slashed at Gaia, gouging open Gaia's cockpit. He drew back the saber, intending to stab the head, when he saw the cockpit. He froze.

That was the girl. Her eyes were wide in panic, teeth gritted. She'd killed people at Armory One. But then, Kira had killed a few in his time. But it wasn't what he wanted for Cagalli, and if this was his sister, not what he wanted for her, either. Kira drew a second beam saber and spun, cutting off Gaia's legs. Gaia slashed out with its beam saber. Kira caught it with his own and cut off the arm.

# # #

Stella panicked. "Get him away from me! Get away from me!" she fired her CIWS, peppering Freedom's armor.

'Stella!' Auel cried. Abyss suddenly rammed Freedom, knocking the suit aside.

# # #

Yzak slashed through a GINN with his beam axe. "Get back to work! If we don't get the job done soon, it won't matter!"

'Meteor breakers activated!' The breaker drills started boring down through Junius seven, leaving behind their setup cradles. Junius Seven began to crack right down the middle.

'Estimate ten minutes to Junius Seven break up.' Yzak saw a blue, black, and white blur shoot by, followed by a light blue blur. He looked to see Freedom fighting off Abyss.

"Kira! What are you doing here!?"

# # #

A purple seed exploded behind Kira's eyes, and his mind went still, like a tranquil lake. His pupils grew smaller, opals dilating.

"I came here to help with the breakup. Leave the Gundams to me, Yzak. I can handle them." He boosted over Abyss's lunge and flew behind it, and stabbed Abyss's hip with his beam saber.

'I'll help. It's been awhile since I got a good fight.'

"Fine, but don't blame me if you get shot down." Kira said. He opened Freedom's wings and boosted at Abyss, drawing a beam saber.

# # #

"Bastard!" Sting cried, firing at the green Zaku, launching Chaos's dragoon pods.

# # #

Athrun spun, saw the Dragoon, and fired, destroying the pod. He drew the Zaku's beam tomahawk and threw it, cutting the other pod in half right in front of Chaos.

# # #

Kira ducked Freedom, and Gaia sailed over, hitting Abyss. Both suits went flying. Kira deployed Full Burst mode and fired. Abyss boosted away, carrying Gaia, then fired on Freedom. Kira shielded.

# # #

Auel looked up just in time to see a beam axe sailing at his cockpit. He screamed. The beam axe lowered and cut off Abyss's legs.

"Wha? Oh, not again!"

# # #

Kira felt something enter the battlefield. His eyes widened. He engaged Freedom's Hi-Mat mode and boosted for the Mobile armor. The front section folded up for Freedom, the twin arms opening. Kira connected Freedom the Meteor and gripped its heavy cannons. He boosted at Junius Seven, locking onto multiple Ginns. He fired the Meteor's main guns, taking out nearly ten of the suits in one blast.

# # #

Yzak sliced through one GINN's arm and opened fire with his 'Hydra' beam gatling guns, spraying multiple Ginns with beam fire.

# # #

Kira saw Gaia shooting straight at the Impulse and the three Zakus. He boosted straight at Gaia, activating a beam sword. He slashed in front of Gaia, nearly cutting off its head. Gaia charged at Freedom, jumping and spinning, beam blades active. Kira jettisoned the Meteor and boosted away, drawing Freedom's beam rifle.

# # #

Rey turned to see Gaia jumping at him. He panicked and fired his boosters, boosting right at Gaia. Freedom shot between the two, slashing off Gaia's beam blade. He kicked Gaia away. The Gundam transformed and drew a beam saber. And charged. Kira blocked the beam saber with his own. Gaia bashed Freedom backwards with its shield.

# # #

"I'm gonna kill you!" Stella shouted. A purple seed exploded behind her eyes, pupils contracting, opals dilating.

# # #

Kira felt the SEED explosion. His eyes widened. The black and red suit charged, slashing, its sword style suddenly elegant, flowing. Kira blocked and counterattacked. The suits locked beam sabers, spinning mid space, thrusters firing. The suits began vibrating and broke apart, and attacked again, bouncing apart again, then Freedom boosted away, chased by Gaia. Kira blocked Gaia's beam saber.

# # #

"Why won't you die?! WHY WON'T ANYBODY JUST DIE?!" Stella fired her beam cannons. Freedom leaned its head, the beam missing its head by a hair. She boosted forward, headbutting Freedom. Freedom fell away, turning end over end. Both suits drew their beam rifles and fired, the beams meeting and forming a small star for a second before it exploded. Stella cocked her head at the explosion, then looked back at Freedom. It charged, beam saber aimed at her cockpit. She recoiled, her elbow hitting her radio, and screamed across all channels, eyes closed.

# # #

Kira stopped.

"A girl?"

Flash

He dodged six beams. He looked to see three units shooting up from the surface. The white and black one with wings shot right at Freedom, a pair of beam swords in hand, and attacked. Kira blocked with his beam saber. The suits were eye-to-eye.

# # #

"This is Sven Cal Bayang, pilot of Strike Noir Gundam." The silver haired pilot said.

# # #

"Strike…Noir?"

# # #

"Sven? What the hell is he doing here?!" Sting cried.

# # #

Strike Noir and Freedom broke apart. Strike Noir threw one of its 'Fragerarch' beam blades like a beam boomerang. Freedom dodged, and fired its railguns. Strike Noir was knocked backwards, spinning. It regained stability and fire a rocket anchor from its free hand into a GINN HM2 and swung it at Freedom like a ball and chain. Freedom boosted at strike Noir, cutting off the anchor line, and slashed at Noir.

Strike Noir blocked and pushed Freedom away, then drew twin beam rifles. It fired.

# # #

Kira dodged, and slashed off Strike Noir's legs. Kira kicked it away. The upgraded Duel grabbed the Strike Noir and few for the Girty Lue. He turned and blocked Gaia's attack.

# # #

Junius Seven suddenly broke in half. The first half continued moving, the other slowing down and stopping.

# # #

"We're coming close to the Earth's Gravity, we'll need to call the machines back." The captain declared.

"Call them back." Neo ordered. "Pull us away from Junius Seven as soon as the suits are back."

# # #

The Girty Lue fired three flares, green blue, and red. Stella looked at the flares, then back to Freedom, growling in frustration. She broke away and boosted to the Girty Lue.

# # #

"They finally believed us!" Durandal said, smiling.

"It's possible. But there's also another reason to pull away. Altitude. They didn't want to get caught in Earth's Gravity. Chairman, I'd appreciate it if you would transfer to the Voltaire. We're gonna enter the atmosphere and use the main cannon to break up Junius Seven. Call our mobile suits back."

# # #

Zakus and GuAIZ Rs were boosting away. Kira saw one Zaku boosting into Junius Seven, carrying a Meteor Breaker, followed closely by the Impulse. Kira boosted towards the two suits.

"Shinn, Athrun, what are you doing?"

'I'm gonna finish breaking up Junius Seven. Cover me.' Athrun shouted, placing the Meteor breaker. Kira felt something and turned to see Three Ginns rushing the meteor breaker. One smashed into Freedom, both suits crashing into Junius Seven.

# # #

"This is my daughter's tombstone! I won't let you destroy it!"

# # #

"His daughter?" Shinn asked, confused.

# # #

"Elmeirch Sato. I'd heard about you from Kisaka. What are you doing here?" Kira said, slashing off the GINN's head. He stood Freedom up and stood there, waiting.

# # #

"The followers of Clyne have made us weak! Our true path is the one set down for all Coordinators by Patrick Zala! THAT is our True Path!" Freedom slashed off Sato's GINN's head.

'So you'll play right into the hands of the Naturals with this stunt?' Freedom's pilot asked.

"The followers of Zala play into no one's hands!"

'You're just as insane as Patrick was himself.' Kira shouted. Freedom fired its beam cannons and destroyed Sato's GINN.

# # #

"Athrun! Activated the Meteor breaker now! Or it'll be too late!"

'Meteor Breaker active!'

# # #

"Where's Shinn?" Lunamaria asked, right before the Minevra hit the atmosphere and knocked Lunamaria back into her cockpit.

# # #

The three suits fired their boosters but continued to fall. Kira's eyes went wide.

"We're too low!" he shouted.

# # #

The Minevra closed its wings and turned to Junius Seven, opening it Tanhauser cannon. Junius Seven suddenly shattered.

# # #

Djibril sat up, eyes wide in fury. The broke it up! Damn those Coordinators, they broke it up! Djibril shook his head. No, this could still be used. Even shattered, Junius Seven would cause damage. And they had proof ZAFT as responsible. Djibril smiled and sat down.

# # #

Stella, Auel, Sting, Sven, Muldie, Shams, and Neo watched Junius Seven fall to Earth.

"Is everyone on Earth going to die?" Stella asked. Sven's eyes narrowed.

"No. It's just a meteor shower. It'll do some damage, but not enough to cause extinction. We're fine, Stella." He said.

"ZAFT is gonna pay." Sting said.

"Those damn space monsters." Muldie said.

"That's a promise." Sven finished.

# # #

Kira, Athrun, and Shinn watched the meteor fragments streak across the sky, sheathed in flame. Athrun looked down, avoiding looking at the fragments.

"If I'd had a Gundam…any Gundam, I could've prevented this from happening. He squeezed his eyes shut, teeth gritted. "I wasn't strong enough."

# # #

"Athrun. You did fine. If you hadn't engaged that meteor breaker Junius Seven wouldn't have broken up." Kira said.

# # #

Waltfeld and Murrue watched from the balcony of the mansion.

"This is the start of another one. Another war." Waltfeld said, grim.

# # #

Shani, Orga, and Clotho watched the meteors fall.

"Does this mean we have to fight those two again?" Shani asked glumly, one earbud hanging out of his ear.

"No it doesn't, ya dumbass, we're on their side!" Clotho shouted at Shani.

"You're the dumbass, Clotho. Why don't both of you shut up and let me think?!"

"Why didn't you think when we were fighting those two?!" Clotho demanded. Shani groaned and put his earbud back in, preferring his music to their arguing.

# # #

Sai, Kuzzey, and Mirillia watched the fragments falling, Mirillia snapping off pictures.

"I wouldn't be surprised if this leads to another war." Sai said. Mirillia sighed and nodded. Kuzzey pulled a few sodas in glass bottles and popped open three of them.

"It isn't beer, but…a toast to the end of peace." The three friends clinked their bottles together.

"And to old friends." Sai added. "Kira, Athrun, I hope you can end this war like you did the first time."

# # #

Lowe, Gaia, Mina Sahaku, and Canard sat in the control center for Genesis Alpha.

"Damn Terrorists! They prevented us from using the cannon to destroy Junius Seven!" Canard roared, punching the wall.

"If we'd had my Super Gerbera Straight and the Power Loader, maybe we could've used it." Lowe said, regretful.

"Maybe. I just hope Orb is alright through this war." Mina said. "Speaking of which, I have to visit Orb to pick up the Kusanagi. Want to come, Gai, Lowe?"

"Nope. I don't wanna get involved with this war." Gai said.

"I'll come. Kira's in Orb." Canard said. "I need to talk to him." The four Gundam pilots looked back to the Earth, hanging in the sky.

# # #

**I needed to bring the Druggies back, I just love them, and I worked magic on them, so now they're Coordinators. (What?! Shit happens!) Mina and Canard may wind up on the Archangel, might not, although Canard's chances are a lot better than Mina's.**

**Please Review!**


	7. Broken Armor

**Phase 07: Broken Armor**

_None of these characters are mine. Alex belongs to Dragoon Swordsman, for one. And leave some reviews, people! You're killin' me like Kira killin' le Cruset!_

"What?! Why?!" Cagalli shouted, drawing Kira's attention. He looked inside the room to see Athrun sitting down while Cagalli stood in front of him, shouting.

"Without a Gundam I'm useless in this type of situation. I'm not a politician. And I'm not like Kira. Any Gundam, even the Strike Rouge would be enough. That's why I'm gonna see Chairman Durandal. If I have to, I'll steal a Gundam."

Flash Kira looked up to see Rey exiting the room next door and proceed to the bridge. Rey stopped and turned.

"May I help you?" he asked. Kira tried to reason what Rey was doing.

"Did you hear the conversation next door?"

Rey paused before answering. "No, I didn't." He turned to face Kira fully. "You knew…Rau le Cruset?"

_Kira rammed the combined beam lance into Providence's stomach, the blade piercing out of Providence's lower back. Kira boosted away as Genesis fired, annihilating the mobile suit before Kira's eyes._

"Yes." Kira said, then turned and walked away, walking into Lacus's quarters.

Rey narrowed his eyes, but turned and walked away, deciding not to press the issue. He stepped into the communication center and opened a line to Durandal.

"Athrun Zala wants to meet with you. He's searching for a Gundam, whatever that is." He said.

# # #

Durandal smiled. "It's a mobile suit like Freedom or the Impulse, and Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss. Hmm…I do believe this could work to our advantage. A Crimson Knight, seeking to repair his armor. I think we should provide him with a sword, Rey."

# # #

"No matter what, the Earth Forces are gonna go to war after this. ZAFT won't be able to explain it away, there were ZAFT suits planting Flare Motors, and they're not gonna believe a group of extremist Coordinators set Junius Seven into motion." Athrun explained.

"But it's the truth!" Cagalli shouted.

"Would you believe the Earth Alliance if they said it was Blue Cosmos that attacked ORB, not the Atlantic Federation?" Cagalli narrowed her eyes and didn't say anything.

"Dammit." She growled.

# # #

Yzak slammed his fist against the wall. "Those damn extremists have got us into another damn war! Stupid, asinine, idiots!"

"You know stupid and asinine mean the same thing, right?" Dearka asked.

"Emphasizing my point, ya moron!"

"You sound like Orga, you know that, right?"

"Shut up!"

"Wasn't Orga a Monster in Godzilla 2000?" Shiho asked.

_(Daydream)_

_A weirdly mutated creature with Orga's snarling head ravaged through Tokyo, swinging massive fists._

_(End daydream)_

"Uh…we know a guy named Orga. Real asshole." Yzak said.

"Yeah. Even Yzak thought he was an asshole. Shot at his own teammates." Dearka said. "In fact, he made Yzak seem like a real nice guy."

"Oh, shut up."

"Yeah, that part was bullshit. Nobody tops Yzak."

"Damn straight! Wait a minute…" Yzak was distracted by Durandal entering Yzak's office. He went to a salute, along with Dearka and Shiho. Durandal stopped and saluted, then smiled to Yzak.

"Commander Joule, could you please take me to Aprilius One at best possible speed?"

"Uh…of course!"

# # #

Orga suddenly sneezed, blinking in surprise.

"Somebody must be talking about you." Clotho offered. Orga picked his nose, wiped it, and wiped his hand in his hair. Clotho blinked, then looked at Shani's hair. Shani gave the orange-haired coordinator a glare that said: 'don't even think it.'

# # #

"Kira and Athrun did pretty well that last battle. I can see why they got those nicknames those guys have." Lunamaria said. "And Commander Joule and Lieutenant Elsman, too! Man, they were awesome, and they were just piloting Zakus! Lieutenant was piloting the same ride as me, and I didn't do that good!"

Shinn tried to ignore Lunamaria's comments. Who cared about people from ORB? As far as he cared, the Atthas and anybody who was in that stupid Ships Alliance could go to hell.

"I don't know, you guys were pretty good, too." Meyrin said. "Especially Rey." Shinn's eyes went wide in anger. Rey was better than _him_? _Shinn_ was in the most advanced Gundam yet, and Rey beat _him_? Shinn stood up noisily and walked out of the lounge.

"Hey, Shinn was awesome!" Mayu said, not soon enough for Shinn to hear. "Did you see him when he used his Folding Razor Knives to take out those pair of Ginns?!"

"Hey, where is Shinn?" Lunamaria asked, looking around. Rey looked up from his book, then narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

# # #

"What have they got that I don't?" Shinn asked. Kira had Freedom, Athrun had Justice. Did Shinn need a nuclear powered mobile suit? No…it was something more than that.

"Who?" Kira asked. Shinn turned to see Kira and Lacus, smiling, Kira's arm around Lacus's shoulders, Lacus holding her Haro.

"Oh! Uh…no one." Shinn said. Haro dropped from Lacus's hands and jumped at Shinn. Shinn caught the pink ball.

"_Haro's fine! And so are you!"_ the robot shouted. Shinn blinked.

"Mr. Pink!" Lacus said, smiling. She approached Shinn, then noticed his expression, frowning. "Are you sad with who you are?" Shinn looked up at Lacus, eyes wide.

"Uh…" Kira frowned, eyes narrowing. "Well, Kira and Athrun are really good pilots. And next to them I just feel like I'm not good enough. I feel like I'm missing something they have." Kira looked down at the ground.

_The beam pierced the shuttle cleanly, then it hung in the sky for a second, then exploded, pushing the Strike away on the shockwave. Kira shouted in anguish._

_Flay's lifepod exploded, enveloping her in flames right in front of Kira's eyes._

"You don't want to be like us. There's pain. At some point, you're afraid if you'll lose everything you love, or ever loved, or ever will love." Kira said.

"But…everything I love is dead." Shinn said, eyes welling. Kira smiled.

"Trust me, you have more people you love than you think. You have Mayu, don't you? And your friends." Kira said. "Me and Athrun barely have anything. After the war, I only had Lacus and my mother. Athrun had Cagalli. Cagalli had Athrun."

"But you still smile all the time…" Shinn said, eyes wide, tears streaking down his cheeks.

"I smile so I don't cry." Kira said, smiling again. Birdy landed atop Shinn's head. Kira laughed and held out a finger. Birdy jumped onto Kira's finger, than to his shoulder. Kira put his arm around Lacus's shoulder again and they turned, heading to the lounge. Haro spun in Shinn's hand, and Shinn smiled and let it jump out of his hand.

Haro jumped after Kira and Lacus, shouting, _"No problem! No problem!"_

Shinn nodded and walked off, his eyes closed, smiling.

# # #

"_Hey there. What cha doin'?" Athrun asked, smiling in amusement. _

Athrun smiled at the memory and pulled out the amulet. He was reminded of the time he and Kira hitched a ride on the Kusanagi, firing their weaponry at Forbidden, Calamity, and Raider. He sat up and looked over his shoulder at Cagalli. He pulled out a flash drive and plugged it into the computer. He looked through the photos, him and Kira after the war, in the infirmary, Cagalli, Athrun, Kira and Lacus sitting at the park. He looked at the picture of his graduation from the academy, along with Rusty, Nicol, Yzak, Dearka, and Miguel.

Nicol. Athrun frowned and put his chin on his hands, eyes narrowed. He constantly wished Nicol, Miguel, and Rusty had never died. What if Junius Seven had never been destroyed…Athrun lowered his forehead to the desk.

But then he'd never have met Cagalli. Athrun usually felt that the price wasn't worth it. But then he saw Cagalli as he had first met her. And he smiled. Now he was going to marry her…God, it was terrifying. But he wasn't putting it off. No, he wanted to marry Cagalli. And he wanted a way to protect Orb for her. He sighed when he remembered.

Self-detonating Justice, what had he been thinking? Then he was back in Justice's cockpit, with a red-winged Gundam flying straight at him, anti-ship sword drawn back.

"Athrun?" Athrun jolted awake, his heart going a hundred miles an hour. A dream. Just a dream. He sighed and rubbed sleep from his eyes. He looked at Cagalli. "Yeah?"

"We're in Orb." Cagalli announced.

# # #

Athrun stepped off the Minevra to stand beside Lacus.

"Where's Kira?" he asked.

"He went in Freedom to get Andy. He left about a half an hour ago, so Andy should be here pretty soon." A black limo parked beside the Minevra just as Cagalli stepped off the gangplank, and out stepped a blue haired man that looked 3 years older than Cagalli.

"Cagalli! Thank god you're safe! I was so worried about you." The man grabbed Cagalli's hand and started smothering it in kisses, when he noticed the ring. "Wrong finger, Cagalli." He pulled it off and put it on Cagalli's other hand. Athrun stiffened, considering punching the man in his duty as a bodyguard.

"Um…who are you? And that was on the right hand." Cagalli said. The man smiled.

"Cagalli…I'm your fiancé, remember? Yuna Roma Seiran?" Athrun's eyes went wide behind his sunglasses. Lacus watched, mouth open. "And you're not engaged to somebody else. How could you be? I mean, this ring is so…common."

Okay, that was the last straw. "Excuse me, sir." Athrun said, as partial as he could manage, but there was still a hint of anger in his tone, "I'm Alex Dino, and-"

"Oh, yes, the bodyguard. You may leave, Cagalli is quite safe with me." Yuna said. Athrun's fists were now shaking violently.

"GET. YOUR. HANDS. OFF. MY. FIANCÉ." Athrun growled.

"Your fiancée?" Yuna asked? "Don't be absurd-" He was interrupted by Athrun picking up the snot nosed noble. Athrun had a fist at the ready to break a nose, preferably of a suit-wearing bodyguard.

"Yes, my fiancé, and if you insult me or my mother's wedding ring again, and I'll knock you into the PLANT Supreme Council Chamber itself. It's only an engagement ring, you prick."

"Y-y-you d-dare?! Do you know who I am?!"

"No." Athrun said, with a nasty smile.

"Athrun! You're not helping anything!" Cagalli shouted.

"You don't expect me to let him get away with this, do you? He's already saying you're his fiancé, and he hasn't even asked you yet. You can't possibly want to marry this prick, do you?"

"Athrun, this isn't a place to be a Knight in Shining Armor!" Cagalli said.

"Athrun?" Yuna asked, and Athrun looked back to Yuna. "Athrun Zala? The ZAFT pilot? That's your fiancé? A _patchworker_?"

"I hope you know I don't like that name." Athrun warned. "Has Orb's policy on Coordinators changed recently?"

"N-no, but Cagalli, are you pursuing an alliance with ZAFT? Not the Earth Alliance?"

"I'm not pursuing an alliance with anybody." Cagalli said, confused. "Orb is neutral."

"Neutral? Cagalli, being neutral is a child's fantasy, how can one be neutral?"

"And I'm not ZAFT." Athrun reminded Yuna. "I'm officially Alex Dino, Lady Cagalli's personal bodyguard and attendant, next to Lendonir Kisaka."

"Yes…well…"

"Athrun, put him down." Cagalli ordered. Athrun turned to look at Cagalli, dropping Yuna. "I'll talk with him." Athrun looked betrayed, his mouth hanging open.

"But Cagalli…" Athrun's voice drifted off as she followed Yuna into the limo. The door closed after Cagalli and drove off. Athrun didn't watch it go, eyes frozen on the spot where Cagalli had been a moment ago.

"Athrun?" Lacus asked. Athrun turned to Lacus to see her looking worried.

"I'm…I'm fine."

"Athrun! Lacus!" Kira ran up from Andy's car, Murrue in the passenger seat. Athrun walked off. Kira stopped by Lacus.

"Where's Cagalli?" he asked. Lacus told Kira what happened. Kira wondered where Athrun had gone after Lacus finished.

"I know where he is." Kira announced.

# # #

Athrun looked down at the tombstone, displaying the name Uzumi Nara Attha. Kisaka walked up beside him.

"Did you hear about the Seirans?" Athrun asked.

"I did." Kisaka confirmed.

"I swore to Uzumi I'd take care of Cagalli, but I don't know what to do. Should I get her to protect her, or get a Gundam to protect Orb? Man, that sounds stupid." Athrun sat down on the bench before Uzumi's grave.

"Durandal sent a message requesting your presence." Kisaka said.

"Shouldn't I protect Cagalli?" he paused. "I asked her to marry me. I was terrified that I was finally going to marry Cagalli, and now I've lost her already." He growled, and gripped his head, angry. "What should I do?! Dammit!"

"If you can't protect Cagalli, protect her love. Protect Orb. Protect the peace." Athrun looked up. And nodded, closing his eyes. He stood up, bowed deeply to Uzumi's tombstone, and walked off.

Kira and Lacus ran up beside Kisaka a few minutes later.

"Did we miss him?" Kira asked. Kisaka sighed and nodded. Kira growled and turned around, heading back to the car.

# # #

"They're gonna let us off?" Lunamaria asked, excited.

"Yes." Rey said. "We'll get temporary shore leave."

Mayu clasped her hands in front of her. Maybe she could ask Rey out for a…she almost squealed at the prospect. Her and Rey, all alone, in a big meadow. She'd wear her Pink silk sundress, and he'd lean over and…

This time she did squeal, drawing attention from Lunamaria, Rey, Meyrin, and Shinn, who all had curious, confused looks.

"Uh…" she blushed and ran out. (C'mon, some of you girls (possibly some guys, definitely not me, but some,) had to wonder how Rey would be for a boyfriend. Hey, at least he's not le Cruset.)

# # #

President Sutherland (let's just say Captain Sutherland got promoted, shall we?) stepped up to the podium. He set down a file and gripped the edges.

"Citizens of Earth. Yesterday, at approximately 7:15 am, fragments of PLANT Junius Seven's ruins entered Earth atmosphere. Most of the pieces burnt up in the atmosphere, but over 50 did not. Those pieces struck our soil. Fortunately, loss of life was not…disastrous. But…we have reason to believe that a group of Black Ops ZAFT pilots used ZGMF-Ten-Seventeen HM2s GINN High Maneuver Type 2s planted flare motors on Junius Seven's ruins, setting the colony into motion."

The crowd was ripped into a sudden uproar.

# # #

Djibril smiled as he stroked his cat, raising his chin.

"Now, you mindless people of Earth shall fight for Logos, for the Preservation and Stability of Blue and Pure World…"

# # #

Durandal sighed, saddened. He turned to the pink-haired young lady sitting across from him. He turned off the TV.

"It may have been unavoidable, but it still pains me to think of how many lives will be lost in this new war. No doubt will the Supreme Council receive a list of demands from the Earth Alliance." Durandal said.

The pink haired girl stood up. "Don't worry, chairman. As your Lacus Clyne, I will spread the song of peace to anyone who will listen."

"Thank you, Meer." Durandal said.

'Chairman! Athrun Zala is here to see you!' came a voice.

"Thank you. Send him in." Meer walked out, and Durandal smiled. "Everything is going according to plan."

# # #

Kira smiled as Shani, Orga, and Clotho came up to greet him and Lacus home. Malchio stood on the second floor balcony, children jumping and waving around him.

"Hey, you heard the news?" Orga said. "The president has declared war on ZAFT. And the Plants are televising a Concert. For Lacus Clyne."

Kira and Lacus exchanged a glance, eyes wide.

# # #

"Hello Athrun! I can only assume you're here to watch the concert with me!" Durandal said, offering a hand to the former ZAFT Pilot. Athrun hesitated, confused, then shook it.

"Uh…no, I came to ask you if you could provide me with a Gundam, but if you wish I'll gladly-"

"Splendid!" Durandal said, then after the doors closed. "You may laugh if you want. I must admit, Meer's not quite perfect, but she does sound amazingly similar to Lacus. But if you must, don't pause to consider my feelings, please." He gestured to a chair in front of a large window over looking a stage, and sat down.

Athrun sat down. "Chairman, what do you mean, 'Amazingly similar to Lacus?' What's going on?"

"Shh, it's about to begin."

# # #

Meer walked onto the stage, microphone in hand, a red Haro following her closely. She smiled and waved to the crowd.

"Hello, everyone! I wished to say, before we began, that we should not be so quick to declare war on anyone, in the interests of preserving peace! Wars are so terrible, why must we really fight, and what for?" The crowd cheered even louder.

# # #

"They've finally done it." Kira said, eyes narrowed.

# # #

Shinn, Mayu, Lunamaria, Meyrin, Yolant, Vino, and Rey watched the screen, shocked.

"That's Lacus! But wasn't she just on the ship?" Vino asked.

"Wow, they're really fast up at the PLANTs!" Lunamaria said.

Shinn just stared. Was this really Lacus? The Lacus he'd seen not ten hours ago? Her Haro, it was red. Was it a different Haro? He sat back and started thinking.

# # #

"Durandal's ready for a war. And with a Lacus Clyne, he could make himself look like a prince of goodness." Kira said.

"With the fake Lacus on the PLANTs, Durandal is probably gonna get rid of anyone who could prove his Lacus is fake. And she's sitting in this room."

Lacus looked worried. Kira looked at Lacus and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Lacus. I'll protect you." Kira said.

"It's not that." Lacus said, smiling at Kira. "But, what if it starts another war?" Kira sighed and leaned his elbows on his knees.

"The War's already begun. The battle's haven't started yet, though."

# # #

Durandal clapped as the song ended, and Athrun just stared, shocked. Durandal stood up and walked to a door.

"You wanted to ask me for something, Athrun?" Athrun stood up and faced Durandal.

"Why do you need a fake Lacus?!" he asked angrily?

Durandal opened the door and walked down a long walkway. Athrun followed.

"Was Patrick always such an evil man?" Durandal finally asked.

Athrun sighed and stopped, closing his eyes. "No. He was a good man, once. Before Junius Seven."

"I believe that Patrick may have done wrong, but everything he did, he did for the PLANTs. That's why I needed a fake Lacus. The real one would never support my cause, if she knew my plan. Which is why I can't tell you, either. But I can assure you, it WILL lead to peace. What would you give to keep the peace?" Durandal asked, although Athrun could no longer see him.

"I'd fight for peace to my last breath!" Athrun shouted.

"Which is exactly why I'm willing to give you this…" the lights went up, revealing a mobile suit. Athrun looked at it and his eyes went wide.

"…_Savior Gundam_!" Durandal finished.

# # #

_I liked writing this chapter, so it can't be so bad. Savior Gundam makes its debut next chapter, and Canard shows up, the assasination attempt, and Cagalli's Wedding may begin. Don't worry, the Extendeds will face off soon enough._


	8. Savior's Rise

**Phase 08: Savior's Rise**

_Samorei Joule belongs to NukeDawg, and Sebastian Conner belongs to StormWolf1-something. (Sorry I can't remember the usernames, guys. If you're reading this, I hope you don't mind. They may show up later, Samorei in a Sword Calamity, Sebastian in a customized Murasame. And don't you wonder what he added.)_

_Note: Orb Time and PLANT time is opposite, so when it's morning in Orb, it's sunset in the PLANTs. Just a convenient loophole, really, but I'm using it._

Athrun stared, shocked and happy at the same time. A gundam! And a ZAFT Model at that! He didn't show his satisfaction, only shock.

"Savior was designed around the same time as the three machines stolen at Armory One, equipped with the same technology, although not the same abilities, of course." Durandal explained.

"Why are you giving it to me?" Athrun asked.

"I offer it to you, all I want in exchange is Savior's use as your sword in your fight for peace, Athrun."

"Would I have to join ZAFT?"

"That is your choice, Athrun." Athrun was suddenly suspicious. He wanted a Gundam, and Durandal simply offers him one?

"I…I need time to think about it." Athrun finally said.

"Of course." Durandal said.

# # #

Kira opened his eyes. He looked around, raising his head to look over Lacus's sleeping form. a grenade rolled into the room. Kira's eyes went wide, and he covered his eyes with his arm. There was a flash and a bang, and Kira couldn't hear anything. He rolled from bed and picked up the pistol from under his bed.

A special ops soldier walked into the room. Kira put him down with one shot. Kira picked up his machine gun and looked into the hall. He aimed and started spraying the hall with machine gun fire. Lacus was awake, rubbing her eyes, one hand on her ear.

Waltfeld strode into the hall, shotgun in hand, and started blasting. He ran into Kira and Lacus's room, dodging machine gun fire. Kira picked up a grenade and pulled the pin, let go of the handle, then waited, then threw it and covered his eyes.

"The kids are in the shelter, I came to get you two." Waltfeld said, firing down the hall with a pistol. "Let's go!" Kira grabbed Lacus and pushed her down the hall, he and Waltfeld followed her, blasting down the hall. Kira closed the door to the shelter.

# # #

"Dammit! They got to a shelter!" The commander shouted. "Call in the ASHes!"

# # #

Kira dropped the machine gun and walked over to Lacus.

"Are you alright?" Kira asked. He could barely hear himself. Lacus nodded, but she looked scared. Kira wrapped her in a hug. Andy checked his shotgun and sighed and put it in the corner.

"Well, as long as we don't try to get out, we'll be fine." He said. Murrue, Kira's mother Caridad, and Reverend Malchio were sitting on the benches, the children grouped around them.

"Unless they call in mobile suits." Murrue said.

# # #

A dozen, large, bulbous mobile suits suddenly emerged from the sea. They opened fire on the mansion.

# # #

The room shook. Kira sighed and picked up the Haro.

"Wait." Waltfeld suddenly said. "Where are those three?" Kira looked up and looked around. "Oh, don't tell me they're…"

# # #

Five blasts suddenly rained down, instantly destroying five ASH. Three gundams landed between the mansion and the mobile suits. Forbidden boosted forward, slicing three mobile suits in half with one stroke. Raider spun is spherical breaker and smashed one suit into oblivion. One ASH charged Calamity, its beam claws activating. Calamity fired its Scylla cannon, blasting the suit backwards and destroying it.

The mobile suits commander turned and saw a suit emerge from the mansion, opening blue wings. "What the hell…is that…?" Freedom lunged, drawing a beam saber, and sliced off the suit's arms. The other stabbed at Freedom with its beam claw. Freedom dodged the strike and flipped the suit over atop the other.

The commander entered a number into a keypad.

# # #

Kira's eyes went wide when both suits suddenly exploded.

"They self-detonated? Why?"

# # #

Kira dug through the ruins of the mobile suits, trying to find something he could identify. Shani, Orga, and Clotho searched nearby.

"ASH Amphibious Mobile Suits. Only ZAFT would have access to those." Waltfeld said.

"Durandal." Kira said, standing.

"Kira!" Canard called.

"Canard?!" Kira asked, turning to see his older 'brother' running for him. "What are you doing here?"

"That's not important right now! The Seirans have announced a wedding being held tomorrow…er…" Canard checked his watch, "later today at the Old Temple. Yuna's marrying Cagalli. Cagalli's maid gave me this." Canard handed Kira a letter. Kira ripped the letter open and took out a ring and piece of paper.

_Kira,_

_I'm sending you Athrun's ring, because I don't want it taken away from me. Yuna and I are getting married. It's not what I want, but if it helps Orb, I'll do anything. Please tell Athrun I'm sorry, and that I can't marry him._

_Love, Cagalli_

Kira looked up, face determined. He put Athrun's ring in his pocket and started for Freedom.

"Andy, please tell Murrue to launch the Archangel. Shani, Clotho, Orga, and Canard, get your Gundams aboard. I need to pick up Cagalli."

# # #

There was a knock at the door. Cagalli didn't answer, sitting in front of a three-fold mirror, dressed in the white gown. Yuna stepped in and smiled at Cagalli.

"I think I'd like your hair longer." He said, standing behind Cagalli. "Well, it's time to go, Cagalli." Cagalli stood up, a single tear escaping her eye. Yuna led her out of the room and to the limousine.

# # #

Murrue took the captain's chair, sighing. She sat up straight and prepared herself. She'd hoped she'd never had to be a captain again.

"Archangel, prepare for launch!" she ordered.

"All systems ready, preparations for launch complete."

"Launch Archangel!" The Archangel's engines opened up, and the ship slowly began moving. Lacus walked onto the bridge.

"Ms. Murrue, I'd like to help the crew." She said.

"Uh…" Murrue was surprised by the singer's request. "You…can take the communication terminal." Murrue pointed to the terminal Mirillia had operated in the last war. Lacus bowed in thanks and walked up to the station and sat down, placing the headset on her head. The door to the dry-dock opened, revealing the Archangel to the ocean.

Murrue took a deep breath as the Archangel passed through the doorway.

# # #

"Athrun!" Athrun turned to see Meer running for him. He started for her. She jumped into his arms and kissed him. Athrun just blinked, surprised. Meer ended the kiss. "How are you, Athrun?"

"Uh…I'm fine…but, uh…that's…not something the real Lacus would do, Meer." He said.

"How do you know?" Meer asked slyly. Athrun thought about it, and was taken aback when he realized Meer was kinda right. She'd never done that to him, but with Kira…well, that was a different story, wasn't it? "Ooh, man, I was so frightened. All those people, cheering for me…I nearly couldn't talk, but I just told myself they were cheering for Lacus, not me, and I was better. Was I good, Athrun? As Lacus?"

"Well, I'd imagine they think Lacus had some surgery done…" Athrun blushed when he glanced at Meer's…sizable bosom, then looked back at Meer's face, "and some of your songs were a bit more upbeat, but other than that, you were excellent."

Meer smiled. "Well, should we go out to dinner? I'm not sure what fiancés do, honestly." Athrun's jaw dropped, stunned by the question.

"Uh…wasn't the engagement cut off?" he asked, surprised.

"No. Why?"

"Uh…" he shook off the surprise. "Well, dinner sounds nice, actually."

# # #

Yuna stepped out of the limo and offered his hand to Cagalli, who took it and stepped out, reluctantly. As they walked to the temple, Yuna was smiling and waving. He stopped when he saw the three ahead of him.

Rondo Mina Sahaku smiled.

"What?! Can't an old friend be at her friend's wedding?!" she asked.

"Sahaku! What are you doing here?!" Yuna shouted, angry.

"Oh, I wouldn't be worried about her." Samorei said. "You should really be worried about us."

"Or the mobile suit flying up behind you." Sebastian offered, Fenris on his belt. Yuna and Cagalli both turned to see Freedom lunge and slash apart the four Astrays guarding the temple. Yuna gave a girly shriek and hid behind Mina Sahaku. Samorei and Sebastian both blinked at Yuna.

"Eh, how'd he'd get there?" Sebastian asked.

Freedom grabbed Cagalli and took off, Cagalli shouting at Kira the whole way. Samorei shook his head, grinning.

"Alex is gonna have my head for letting Kira do that to Cagalli." He said.

"Alex would've done the same thing."

Yuna cried out in rage and ran out from behind Mina. "GET HER BACK! SHOOT DOWN FREEDOM!!"

# # #

Kira opened his cockpit and dropped Cagalli into his lap. The seat instantly lowered, closing the cockpit hatch as soon as Kira was clear.

"Kira, what are you doing?"

"Being an older brother." Kira answered. He looked up at two suits approaching, firing beam rifles. Kira drew a beam saber and charged, slicing the heads off of both suits, then boosted away, following the trail of the Archangel.

# # #

As soon as Cagalli's feet touched the Archangel hangar deck, she tried to punch Kira. Kira caught the fist and opened it, then placed Athrun's ring into her hand.

"You didn't want to marry Yuna, did you, Cagalli? How will joining the Earth Forces help Orb? If you can't marry Athrun, tell him yourself. Give him his ring back yourself." Kira said.

"But I…I feel like I betrayed him, Kira," Cagalli said, breaking into tears. "I agreed to talk to Yuna, and just left him there…I feel like I tore my own guts open." Cagalli fell into Kira, burying her cheek into his shoulder, sobbing. Kira put his hands on Cagalli's back. Kira just smiled, stroking Cagalli's hair. Canard set a comforting hand on Cagalli's shoulder.

"C'mon." Canard said. "Let's get you into some casual clothes. You must hate that dress." Cagalli looked down at herself, then gave a short laugh that sounded a quarter sob.

"Actually…I kinda like it." Kira's eyes went wide in horror.

"Our little tomboy Cagalli…is turning into a _girl_?" Kira asked, faux shocked. Cagalli laughed a little.

"I need some sleep." Cagalli said.

# # #

Kira led Cagalli to her old quarters. Cagalli started to walk off to change.

"Cagalli." Cagalli turned.

"You look beautiful." Kira said, smiling. Cagalli smiled weakly and walked into the bathroom to change. Kira left the room and started for the bridge.

# # #

"I did an amateur singing contest when I was twelve. I only took second place, but I was really proud of myself, I didn't care it was only second place." Meer said, smiling. "I get stage fright really bad, I have to pretend I'm really Lacus to even speak sometimes."

Athrun smiled. "But what's with the revealing dresses?"

Meer sighed. "I don't know, maybe I'm just wearing them for you." Athrun blushed. Meer laughed, and Athrun noted Yzak and Dearka sitting in the back of the restaurant, Yzak drinking red wine, Dearka smiling and waving casually, mockingly. Athrun took a drink of his wine to cover the fact he was blushing.

"So what did you do after the war?" Meer asked. Athrun paused, thinking. Cagalli…

"I lived in Orb. I was a bodyguard to Representative Attha. Her brother, Kira, piloted Freedom in the last war."

"It must've been horrible. Watching Miguel Aiman and Amalfi's son dying."

Athrun frowned, lowering his eyes to the table. "Yes. I was there when Nicol died. There isn't a day I don't wish he'd survived. I…almost…killed him. I almost killed Kira. Before I knew he was still alive, I couldn't fathom what I'd done. My best friend, my partner since we were kids, before we were kids, I had just killed him."

_The three-limbed Aegis wrapped its limbs around the Strike's torso. Athrun pulled the self-detonation switch and jumped out, seconds before the Aegis blew up, enveloping the Strike in a fireball._

Athrun looked up, snapping from the memory. Now he was sure…he needed the Savior. He couldn't let something like that happen again. He smiled.

"I think I'll rejoin ZAFT." He announced, then checked his watch. "In the morning. Red wine and steak, I think I'm ready for bed. Hey, Yzak! You know a place where I could buy some clothes?"

Yzak paid his and Dearka's bill, then he stood and walked over to Athrun, very nearly swaying as he walked. Athrun got a whiff of Yzak's breath and nearly passed out. Meer stood up, suddenly.

"I know a place! It's not far from here." Athrun smiled. He checked the bill and put some money into the leather folder and walked out, Meer walking with him. They stepped into the street, and Athrun offered an arm to Meer. She took it with a smile, and led him away.

# # #

Athrun stepped into his Hotel room with a bag containing a pair of pajamas and a change of clothes, and undid his shoes, tossing them next to the wheeled chair. He undid his coat and dropped it on the chair. Meer walked in and looked around. She smiled, and approached Athrun, who saw her and started backing up.

"Meer, this is a very bad idea." He said.

"And?" she asked, putting her slender arms around his neck. Athrun balled his hands into fists to stop himself from grabbing her waist. She leaned into him, pressing her lips against his. Screw it, Athrun though, and deepened the kiss. Cagalli'd left him on that dock, this was just payback to him. His hands went to her hips, pressing her against him.

Something rebelled, and Athrun broke the kiss. Dammit, he couldn't. Not to Cagalli.

"Son of a bitch." He muttered, angry. "Me and Cagalli, Representative Attha, we…had a relationship. I know I want to, but I just can't. I'm sorry, Meer." Meer smiled sadly and removed her arms from Athrun's neck.

"It's alright, Athrun. I understand. But if it's an excuse, it'll only work once." Athrun sighed as Meer started to leave.

"Meer." Meer stopped and looked over her shoulder. Athrun picked her up and pressed her against the wall, kissing her mouth hungrily.

# # #

"Hello? Earth to Shinn?" Lunamaria put her head between Shinn's head and the monitor of his computer. "Wanna go find something to eat? They're letting us off for shore leave." Shinn smiled and stood.

"Alright, just let me change, Luna." Shinn said, slightly reluctant, but knowing Luna would pester him until he did.

# # #

Shinn and Luna stepped off the Minerva. They looked around, then Shinn looked to Luna. He set his hand in his pocket and offered Luna his other. Luna took it and they started walking away from the dock.

# # #

Athrun woke up and instantly his hands went to his head with a groan. He didn't know he'd drank that much wine. He looked over his shoulder, feeling someone else in the bed, and gaped when he saw Meer, naked, sleeping with her back to him.

Last night's events replayed in his head. He sat up, eyes wide. Athrun threw aside the covers and grabbed the bag of clothes, then locked himself in the bathroom. Meer looked up, sleepily. She sat up when she didn't see Athrun in bed.

Athrun turned the hot water on and put his forehead against the wall, letting the water run down his body. Dammit, he was stronger than that. He should've been. He'd proposed to Cagalli, then as soon as it looks bad he runs off to the PLANTs and sleeps with a fake Lacus. Meer was a person, she wasn't just a fake Lacus, but that's all Kira and Cagalli would see her as. That didn't help Athrun at all. He felt dirty, a disgusting feeling that sunk into his very skin. The water only seemed to pound the feeling deeper, down into his body, into his soul. He heard the door open and close, but didn't bother to tell Meer to go away.

"I'm sorry, Athrun. I didn't mean…" She began, but broke off quickly after the first sentence. Athrun took a deep breath.

"It's alright. I'm not angry with you. I'm angry with myself." The words only made Athrun feel dirtier. He needed to get away from Meer, and quickly. If Savior was his best option for that, then so be it. Athrun heard a knock on the hotel room door. He sighed and turned the hot water off, pulled on boxers and jeans, not bothering to hide from Meer, and answered the door. Yzak blinked at Athrun's state of undress.

"What'd I miss?" Yzak asked.

"The best, worst, and first sex of my life." Athrun answered glumly. Yzak slipped past Athrun and sat down in the recliner near the corner and turned on the TV. Dearka sat down in the wheeled chair, removing Meer's skirt. Athrun pulled on a shirt and sat down on the bed, leaning against the headboard.

"What are you guys doing here?" Athrun asked.

"Persuading you to rejoin ZAFT. And you look like shit, be-tee-double u." Dearka said.

"Thanks."

# # #

Meer listened as Athrun and Yzak talked, or shouted, her attention drawn by the 'best, worst, and first sex' comment made by Athrun. Meer thought of the Cagalli girl and was instantly angry. And she didn't know why. Why would Meer be jealous? She realized with a start she'd already fallen for Athrun. The thought terrified her. She finished drying her hair and wrapped a towel around herself. She walked out into the main room.

"Um, have you seen my clothes?" she asked. Dearka handed Meer her leotard and skirt with a knowing smile. Meer accepted them with a grateful smile and went back to the bathroom to change.

# # #

"So, you're finally dumping Cagalli." Yzak said.

"No." Athrun said. "I don't know. I can't think straight. I'm angry with myself, and I feel something for Meer, and I feel something for Cagalli, and I can't figure which one out! Dammit!" Athrun punched the wall. "I'm supposed to be a soldier! But how can I figures out what to fight for, when I don't even know what my heart's telling me?!"

Yzak stood up, determined. "Then fight for something! Even if it's wrong! Fight until you know what you should be fighting for!"

Athrun turned to face Yzak and smiled. "Yeah. I know what I'm gonna fight for now."

# # #

Durandal sighed and turned away from his desk. A figure walked up to his desk, behind him. Durandal turned and smiled.

"Have you considered your answer?" Durandal asked.

Athrun smiled. "I would like to join Faith, sir." He saluted, his redcoat uniform pristine and new. Durandal smiled.

# # #

Athrun was flipping switches inside Savior. He watched the doors close, Meer waving goodbye to him. He pressed the Phase Shift armor active, and Savior phased red and white. Airlocks above Savior started opening, and Athrun pushed the throttle up.

'Cable separation from ZGMF-X23S Savior complete. Magnetic locks disengaged. Ready when you are, Savior.' Athrun put both hands on the control yolks.

It may not have been right, but Athrun felt better as he had stepped into the Gundam.

# # #

Kira looked up, distracted by something.

# # #

Cagalli sat up, woken by something.

"Athrun?"

# # #

Athrun pressed down on the pedal.

"Athrun Zala, Savior, Launching!" He pressed it down all the way. Savior crouched down, then jumped upward, shooting out of the PLANT. As it turned to earth, it twisted, transforming, then shot away like a comet.

# # #

_Hope you liked it. But I'm trying to get at least one hundred reviews here before I hit chapter 25 here, so If I find you on the Alert List or Favs list of this fic, and you haven't left even one review, I may wind up blocking you, and if I can't do that, I'll just delete the story. So leave some reviews, people! I've written some good enough chapters to warrant at least one review._

_But I'll warn you that Shinn may not get as much screen time as I'd like, because I'm really lost as to how I'm gonna get him into the story and seem important. Any suggestions will work. Also, any suggestions for the next volume would be appreciated, but I don't know if I'm gonna focus more on any one character or just write._


	9. Escape from Orb: Attack of the Zamzazah

Phase 09: Escape From ORB: Attack of the Zamza-zah

_Phase 09: Escape From ORB: Attack of the Zamza-zah!_

Shinn returned to his room and rebooted his computer, and instantly went to his new mobile suit design. He'd finished it long before he'd been assigned to the Impulse. He'd wanted a weapon. A weapon to destroy the Atthas for allowing the Atlantic Federation to attack ORB. To attack Shinn's family.

But he'd never come up with a name. Freedom, Justice, Providence. Shinn came up with a word and smiled, typing it in.

Destiny.

# # #

"We'll leave Orb and proceed to Gibraltar." Talia informed. "Both it and Carpentaria have been surrounded by hostile Earth Forces, and the Supreme Council has authorized drop pod operations, but the battle could turn sour before the drop pods are released. Shinn, Rey, Luna, I want you on emergency standby. There's no telling what's waiting for us."

"Ma'am!" Shinn said, saluting.

# # #

Shinn walked out to the Core Splendor, dressed in his red pilot suit, his helmet in hand. He dropped into the cockpit and set his helmet in his lap.

# # #

A trio of Aegis-class ships surrounded the Minerva as it left dock.

# # #

"Hey, where's Shinn? Do you know? He always seems to be somewhere else while we're up here." Lunamaria asked, moving a pawn forth.

"He's in the Impulse's cockpit." Rey said, moving a knight to counter the pawn.

"Speaking of which, why was Shinn assigned to the Impulse?"

Rey paused. "I don't know." He admitted.

"Well, Shinn's a strategist, he's not some reflex fighter like you, Rey. And he's not the best shot in the world, either."

# # #

Kira looked up at the mobile suit, recognizing parts of it that resembled Freedom, Justice, and Providence. Canard approached Kira.

"Like it?" Kira glanced at Canard.

"Not really. But what is it?" Canard chuckled and looked up at his mobile suit.

"The YMF-X000/H Dreadnought Hyperion. Dreadnought H for short. Suited for both ranged and melee combat. Its main system is the Amurie Lumiere. A 360-degree lightwave shield like Artemis, but it can only be pierced by another lightwave shield, or an object with anti-beam coating. My first mobile suit, Hyperion, used the shield for a standard anti-beam shield, it didn't have the power for a full-time shield. But Dreadnought has a Nuclear reactor, so I can use the Amurie Lumiere to my heart's desire." Canard smiled, almost sadistically.

"You're aggressive." Canard turned to Kira, frowning.

"This is an aggressive world. If you're not aggressive back, it will destroy you."

"Is it? Or is that how you choose to see the world?" Kira asked, angry. Canard frowned, saddened. He looked away.

"I…I was told my entire life I was a failure, while you were a success. I wanted to kill you so badly, I could taste it in my mouth. But I learned to accept the world for what it was. I couldn't surpass you just by killing you."

"That's the difference between you and me. You accept the world for what it is. I try to change it for the better." Kira said, then walked off. Canard watched Kira go.

"You can't change your destiny! You're the success, I'm the failure! In the end, I'll be your ultimate nemesis! If you don't accept that, I'll go ahead and kill you, right here!"

"How are you a failure?" Kira asked before stepping on the lift. Canard's eyes shot wide. How was he a failure? Canard couldn't explain it. Not in a way that made sense.

# # #

"I wonder if that ship's really as powerful as Roanoke says. Doesn't look like much."

"Neither did the Archangel, and you never underestimate THAT ship."

"Launch Windams."

# # #

The blue and white mobile suits shot up and away, shooting at the Minerva.

# # #

Alarms began sounding, and Shinn pulled on his helmet and sealed the cockpit to the Core Splendor. He started a pre-flight check.

'Linear launch system engaged. Force Module selected. Opening silhouette hangar 1.' The launch bay door opened, and Shinn pushed the throttle foreward.

# # #

Athrun looked up. The beeping continued, and up came a bracket, labeled Minevra. A second, smaller bracket appeared next to the Minevra, labeled Core Splendor. Athrun banked Savior's mobile armor mode, turning.

# # #

Shinn formed the Force Impulse and blasted a pair of Windams. He boosted away, slashing a third with a beam saber.

# # #

"Who is this guy?!" The question was punctuated by the pilot's scream as the Impulse's beam saber impaled the cockpit.

# # #

A pair of Windams launched a quartet of missiles from their shields. Shinn flew backwards and fired his CIWS, detonating the missiles before they could strike him. He fired twice, destroying one Windam, the other blocked with its shield. Shinn boosted at it, drawing a beam saber. The Windam drew its own beam saber and slashed. Shinn flew over the attack and sliced the suit in half with his own beam saber. The two smoking sections hit an aircraft carrier and exploded just as Shinn flew away.

# # #

"Fire!" The Minerva destroyed a battlecruiser with its Isolde ship rifle, moving against the Earth Alliance fleet.

"Ma'am! Orb Mobile suits, launching from behind!"

"What?!" Talia shouted, angry. "Those bastards! Turn twenty left! Activate CIWS!"

"Ma'am!" Meyrin interrupted. "Detecting power spike near the Impulse's position! Readings match an ultracompact nuclear reactor."

# # #

Shinn turned at his radar's warning, and dodged a beam cannon blast that destroyed a ship in the way in an instant. A giant mobile armor was hovering in the direction of the Impulse, and fast. He aimed and fired. The shot bounced off a dome-shaped shield of energy.

"What? A beam shield?" He fired his CIWS. The rounds bounced off the mobile armor's phase shift armor. Shinn's eyes went wide. He charged, drawing a beam saber. The Mobile armor turned and kicked the Impulse away with a giant claw. Shinn turned in time to block a pair of beam cannon blasts from the Mobile armor. He charged again. The claw lashed out and caught the Impulse's leg, and threw the mobile suit.

Shinn flipped the impulse right side up, and dodged a beam cannon blast, the Minerva approaching the mobile armor.

# # #

"Aiming Tanhauser!" Arthur shouted.

"Fire!" The Minerva recoiled as the massive cannon fired. The blue and red beam splashed across the beam shield and failed. The Mobile armor started for the Minerva. Rey and Mayu fired missiles from their Blaze Wizards, to no avail, the Mobile Armor's Igelstellung turrets shooting down the missiles.

# # #

"What the hell is that thing?" Shinn asked. He looked around. "Okay, time to improvise." He cut back on the throttle and dropped into the ocean.

# # #

"Hmm…they don't seem so tough compared to the Zamza-zah, do they?" the captain asked. Everyone started murmuring agreement.

# # #

Athrun saw the mobile armor, and his eyes went wide. He transformed Savior to mobile suit mode and started for the Minerva.

"Minerva! This FAITH Operative Athrun Zala, what's the situation, captain?"

# # #

Shinn's eyes went wide, suddenly angry. "Athrun?!" He boosted out of the water. "What the hell are you doing here?"

'Providing you support, you ungrateful rookie.' Athrun shot back, a smile in his tone.

"I don't need support!" He charged the Zamza-zah. The Mobile armor fired its main cannon, and Shinn dodged sideways, The Mobile armor caught the impulse's leg and pulled, ripping the leg free. Shinn's eyes went wide. The mobile armor knocked the Impulse flying. The beeping of an emergency drew Shinn's attention. He was out of power. He looked to see the mobile armor aiming at him.

That was it? Shinn's eyes were as wide as he could open them.

_Shinn! Take care of your sister, do you hear me?!_ A red seed suddenly exploded behind Shinn's eyes.

"I'm not gonna die here! Minerva! Send me a deuterion recharge beam, and replacement Leg Flyer and Sword Silhouette!" A green beam suddenly hit the Impulse's forehead, and its eyes lit up once again, its power meter refilling. He spun and drew a beam saber, and lunged up and threw the Zamza-zah's reach, slashing through its red-eyed face with the beam saber. The Mobile armor suddenly exploded.

Shinn ejected the leg flier and force silhouette and docked with the replacements, and boosted at the Earth alliance ships.

# # #

Athrun watched the Impulse destroy the ships like lightning. Shinn dodged a Windam's shot only for the shot to hit another Windam and destroy it. He sliced a ship in half, then used a beam boomerang to destroy a trio of Windams.

"Wow. He's pretty good." Athrun said to himself.

# # #

Shinn landed the Impulse on the deck of the Minerva, facing the Orb fleet. The ships suddenly fired signal flares. He walked the Impulse into the hangar, watched the whole time by Lunamaria and Rey from inside their Zakus.

Athrun touched down in Savior and walked the mobile suit into the hangar. He got out and watched a large group surround Shinn.

# # #

"I doubt Freedom's pilot could've done better!" Arthur said to Shinn. "You should be given a medal for sinking all those ships."

"He probably will be." Talia said. Shinn grinned, blushing.

Athrun shook his head and smiled, sitting down on the edge of Savior's cockpit door. He remember he'd been awarded the Order of the Nebula. Like Athrun was going to wear it.

# # #

Well, nobody said anything, so I wrote this piece of crap to get the ball rolling again. Don't blame me. You all had plenty of warning.


	10. First Blood

_Thanks for the reviews, guys. This story has at the time this is published, 32 reviews, 4054 hits, 9 favs, and 24 alerts. Thank you again._

_Phase 10: First Blood_

So pretty. The ocean was always pretty, even if people poured junk and bad stuff into it. Stella hung her legs over the side, humming to herself. Stella wished she could swim, but they'd never taught them that at school.

Muldie was sitting nearby in a lawn chair, dressed in only a crimson bikini and reading a book by Stephen King. She laughed out loud and turned the page. Sven was at the very end of the ship, with a telescope, looking up at the sky. Stella stopped swinging her legs, cocking her head sideways at Sven. She got up and walked over to him, sitting down Indian style.

"Mars is excellent this time of year." Sven informed her. "Unfortunately, it's only out during the day on the pacific, so I can't watch it at night. What book is Muldie reading?"

"Uh…Desperation, I think." Stella said.

"Good. Last time she read Cujo she slept in my cot. Couldn't sleep for a week." Auel suddenly ran up to Sven and Stella.

"Neo's calling us! Says we've found a ship! We get to destroy stuff!" Sven sighed and stood up straight. He walked off while Auel and Stella ran off, Muldie standing up and folding her page over.

"Don't you find those brats annoying?" she asked, annoyed. Sven frowned.

"No."

# # #

Canard looked up from his drawing to examine Lacus's hair, then resumed his drawing. Orga, Clotho, and Andy were playing cards at a table. Shani was…elsewhere. He looked up to see Lacus gone. He sighed and focused on his memory of what she'd looked like and started working again.

# # #

"Shani?" Lacus asked. Shani didn't look. "Are you lonely?" Shani looked over his shoulder and nodded. Lacus smiled and sat down beside him.

# # #

Kira watched from the cockpit of Freedom, pausing from maintenance.

# # #

"Why aren't you with the others?" Lacus asked, curious.

Shani sighed and looked away. Lacus frowned looked back down to the hangar floor.

"I'm not safe around people. One day, almost…seven years ago, a girl called me a freak for having differently colored eyes. And I…lost control. I punched her and punched her, and I heard a snap, and she went limp. They put in jail, life sentence. With no chance of parole. So I avoid people and don't listen to anybody." Unseen to Lacus, Shani's eyes teared up. "The girl, Muldie, I kinda liked her. She'd only been joking. And I killed her."

# # #

"Ma'am!" Arnold shouted. "Torpedoes incoming!"

"What? Dammit!" Murrue pressed a button on her chair. "All bridge crew, report to the bridge, mobile suit pilots to your mobile suits! Prepare to surface!"

# # #

Lacus ran into the elevator as Shani climbed into Forbidden, wearing his old pilot suit with its ridiculous helmet. Forbidden was moved to the launch catapult.

# # #

Auel grinned as Abyss plunged into the water in Mobile armor mode. He fired a volley of torpedoes. A suit appeared between the ship and Auel and blocked the torpedoes, then lunged at Auel, scythe held back. Auel suddenly surfaced, popping over the attack. He was suddenly thrown backwards by a melee attack, knocking Abyss backwards. Forbidden converted to its close combat mode and fired its beam cannon at Abyss.

Auel dived, the water blocking the beam cannon, and resurfaced, firing his beam cannon. Forbidden's shields went into place, and the beam bent away from Forbidden.

"What the?!"

# # #

Kira launched as soon as the Archangel surfaced and opened the catapult doors, deploying Hi-mat mode.

'The enemies you're up against are Chaos, Gaia, Abyss, Strike Noir, Blu Duel, Verde Buster, and a Windam. Be careful.' Lacus said over the com.

"I always am, Lacus." Kira said, smiling. Flash 'So he's in the Windam, huh?' Kira thought. 'We're outnumbered. Seven to Six.' "Waltfeld, take the Windam. You can't handle a Gundam on your own. Clotho, Shani, Orga, you handle Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss. Canard, you and me will handle the last three."

# # #

Canard switched his Dreadnought H to Sword mode, its beam cannons swinging under its arms, putting its 'Zasta Stigmate' beam rifle on Dreadnought's back. He grabbed the beam cannons, which suddenly ignited huge beam blades. He charged Strike Noir.

# # #

Sven fired a rocket anchor, latching onto Dreadnought H, and threw the suit into Forbidden, knocking both suits flying. He drew his beam pistols and opened his railguns, firing at Freedom. Freedom dodged, then fired its beam cannons at Noir. Sven dodged and charged, drawing a beam blade. He slashed at Freedom. Freedom blocked with its shield and drew a beam saber. Sven dodged a slash, then fired his railguns. Freedom blocked and charged, kicking Strike Noir in the face.

Sven flipped Strike Noir and charged again. A beam cannon blast suddenly hit Strike Noir and blew off its left arm. Dreadnought flew between Freedom and Strike Noir and rammed Strike Noir, its lightwave shield flashing, knocking Strike Noir into the ocean.

# # #

Canard flew towards Blu Duel, his beam sabers lowered for an uppercut. Duel drew a trio of Stiletto knives from its shoulder armor and threw them, the knives piercing the Amurie Lumiere and bouncing off Dreadnought's phase shift.

"Better luck next time!" Canard shouted, smiling, when Blu Duel suddenly dodged his slashed and kicked Dreadnought away.

# # #

Muldie fired her 'Scorpion' railgun at Dreadnought repeatedly, pounding its shield.

# # #

Abyss fired its triple beam cannons at Forbidden, the beam just bending away from the suit. Auel gritted his teeth and engaged his beam lance, slashing at Forbidden. Forbidden caught the lance below the blade and slashed out with its scythe, causing sparks to shoot off it torso, knocking Abyss backwards.

# # #

"Take this!" Sting cried, firing Chaos's beam cannon. Calamity jumped over Chaos and fired its twin beam cannons, forcing Sting to fly away, turn, and fire his beam cannon again. Calamity blocked with its shield, then fired a trio of missiles from its bazooka. Sting converted Chaos to mobile suit mode, firing his CIWS, detonating the missiles, then lunged in again, drawing a beam saber.

# # #

Clotho swung his Hammer at Gaia, frustrated. Gaia dodged and moved in close. Clotho reversed, drawing his Hammer back. Gaia caught it by the chain and swung Raider into the ocean, then landed on the suit, hard, then flew away when Clotho fired his beam cannon.

"Dammit! I need a Health pack!" Clotho cried out. He flew after Gaia, firing his machine guns. They clicked, out of ammo. Clotho gritted his teeth and launched his hammer at Gaia. Gaia spun and slashed the hammer in half.

"WHAT?!" Gaia boosted at Raider, and slashed. Clotho boosted backwards, the end of the beam saber barely missing Raider's cockpit. He fired his beam cannon. Gaia dodged. "Bastard! You're terminated!" He fired the cannon again, scoring Gaia's leg.

# # #

Windam and Murasame, the two suits traded beam fire, neither hitting the other. Andy drew a beam saber and charged. The Windam drew its own, and fired a missile from his shield. Andy dodged the missile and boosted into the Windams face. The suits locked beam sabers. Andy knocked away the Windams beam saber, then slashed out, going for the legs. The Windam's shield was suddenly in the way, and Andy's eyes went wide.

The pink suit slashed off the Murasame's arm, then charged. A beam rifle blast scored the Windam's arm.

'Back off.' Kira commanded, flying between the two suits. 'Andy, go help Canard.'

# # #

"You again, Mr. 'You're Mu la Flaga?'" Neo asked, chuckling. "How's that theory going, Kira?"

# # #

Kira smiled. "Considering I never told you my name…" He charged. The Windam abandoned its shield and drew its last beam saber, locking blades with Freedom.

# # #

"You're wasting your time! I'm not la Flaga, I never was!"

# # #

"I'm not gonna give up!" Kira boosted back, then back in, slashing a line across the Windam's chest. _Flash_ Kira turned and ducked Gaia's beam saber, slashing off Gaia's legs.

# # #

Beep. Meyrin looked down at her console and read carefully.

"Huh? Ma'am!" Talia turned.

# # #

The Minerva drew the attention of the battle. "Great." Kira said, sarcastic. He really didn't want to have to fight Shinn too.

# # #

Cagalli ran into the hangar. She looked at Murdoch. "We have to get Strike Rouge ready for Launch!" Murdoch walked off, grumbling something, as he prepared the catapult.

# # #

Shani fired his beam cannon, the wide beam curving at Abyss. Abyss dodged and fired at Forbidden. Shani deflected the shots and charged, firing his railguns. He brought the scythe down. Abyss blocked the scythe with its beam lance. Shani pulled, the beam scythe falling from Abyss's hands and into Forbidden's. Shani slashed, cutting off Abyss's legs.

He turned to see tens of Windams launching from the fleet.

# # #

"Prepare to launch Impulse and Zakus." Talia called. "Go to condition red, lower the bridge!" Athrun stepped forward.

"Our orders are to recapture or destroy Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss. I recommend we focus on that." he suggested.

"Seems they're taken." Talia pointed out. Athrun looked up to see Forbidden, Raider, and Calamity fighting Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss. His eyes widened at Freedom and he ran out of the bridge.

# # #

Sven slashed at Dreadnought, only to be blocked by its Lightwave shield. He cursed and boosted off, then locked swords with Dreadnought.

"Damn you Coordinators! All of you!!"

# # #

Kira sliced off the Windam's legs and turned to block Blu Duel's beam saber attack. He caught the Duel's fist, then dodged the railgun shot. Kira fired his machine guns, shooting sparks off the Blu Duel's armor.

# # #

Muldie looked at her power meter at the beeping. It was almost empty.

"Dammit!" She broke free of Freedom and boosted back towards the ship, following the Verde Buster. "Sven, we're almost out of power! Only you and Sting are still in battle!"

# # #

Sven narrowed his eyes at the information. "Sting, bug out, I'll cover you!" Dreadnought forced the Strike Noir back and cut off its remaining arm. Sven fired his railguns, pushing Dreadnought back.

# # #

"Shinn Asuka, core splendor, Launching!" He launched and connected with the other fliers when they were launched, forming the Force Impulse.

# # #

"Athrun Zala, Savior, Launching!" Athrun cleared the catapult and transformed to Mobile armor mode, going straight for Freedom. As Freedom turned, Athrun transformed Savior and drew a beam saber.

"Kira!" he shouted, locking beam sabers with Freedom.

# # #

Kira's eyes went wide. "Athrun?" Freedom and Savior floated there, locked together. They broke apart, drawing beam rifles. "Have you rejoined ZAFT?"

# # #

Athrun's eyes narrowed. "I have. Now I'm part of FAITH. You should join, Kira. Durandal truly means the best for the world and the PLANTs." He fired a beam rifle past Freedom, taking out a Windam about to attack it. "Please, Kira, I don't want to force you, but if you continue to impede ZAFT I'll destroy you. I've done it before, I can do it again."

# # #

"Durandal sent a squad of black ops coordinators to kill Lacus! And he used a fake one to further his own goals!" Kira shouted, then blasted a pair of Windams.

# # #

"Meer is not just a fake Lacus, Kira! She's her own person!" He fired his beam cannons at Freedom. Kira dodged and unfolded his own cannons, and fired on Savior. Athrun dodged and drew a beam saber, charging. Kira dodged a slash and fired his railguns, knocking Savior backwards.

# # #

Shinn charged Freedom, but a pair of beams lanced between Shinn and his target. Dreadnought flew at Impulse, slashing out with its large beam sabers.

# # #

"Cagalli Yula Attha, launching!" The Strike Rouge shot forward, then fired its thrusters, shooting foreward, its grey armor going pink.

# # #

Athrun and Kira locked beam sabers, then flew apart from the static in the air from the beam sabers, then lunged again, hitting each other's shields.

"I'm not joining ZAFT, Athrun. Maybe if Durandal wasn't Chairman, I'd be happy to join you, but he's made his choice. I said I'd kill him if he threatened Lacus, and he has."

"Kira, if Lacus agreed to work with Durandal, there'd be no danger! Please, Kira! I don't wanna fight you!"

"If you're ZAFT, then you're my enemy. You've made the choice."

"My orders were to fight for peace, and that's what I'm gonna do!"

"Then join us!" Kira shouted. Athrun's eyes went wide, and the two suits broke apart. Athrun and Kira just floated there. "FAITH has free action, right? You can join the Archangel. Together we can prevent this war from escalating."

"Kira, that's just naïve idealism." Then why was he considering it?

# # #

Shinn saw the Strike Rouge and his eyes went wide. "Attha!" He knocked Dreadnought away and boosted at the Strike.

# # #

Athrun and Kira both saw the charging Impulse and boosted for the Strike, Athrun transforming to MA mode.

"Cagalli!" Athrun cried. He transformed and put himself between the Impulse and Strike and fired his 'Amfortas' plasma beam cannons. Shinn flew up and over the attack and Savior, drawing a beam saber. Freedom flashed, slashing off the Impulse's stabbing arm.

Athrun charged the Impulse and knocked it away with Savior's shield.

"Retreat, Shinn Asuka. That's an order." Athrun ordered.

# # #

Shinn's eyes went wide. "To hell with you!" he cried, his eyes narrowing. He fired his CIWS at the Savior, peppering its armor with a hailstorm of bullets. Savior blew off the Impulse's head in retaliation. Shinn gritted his teeth and flew back towards the Minerva.

Savior and Freedom turned to each other. Cagalli looked at the Savior, suspicious.

"Kira, who's piloting the red suit?" she asked.

# # #

Athrun thought of Meer and frowned. He'd been weak. And he felt sick inside for it.

"It's me. Athrun." He said.

# # #

Cagalli's eyes shot wide.

"Athrun?!"

# # #

Canard landed aboard the Minerva. He opened Dreadnought's cockpit and stepped onto the drop line, and stepped onto the deck when near enough.

"I'm Canard Pars. I'd like to join the crew of the Minerva."

# # #

Athrun stepped onto the deck and saw Cagalli running towards him, angry. Athrun just stood there, waiting. She stopped next to him and slapped him. Athrun let her. It didn't make him feel any better.

"How could you just leave like that?!" Cagalli cried, tears welling up. Athrun looked back at her.

"I could ask the same of you." He walked past her. "I need some time."

# # #

I liked how you guys did leave a lot of reviews for the last chapter, so I gave you guys a good battle in this chapter. (The first one was a bit of a brawl, huh? Seven Gundams on Six. Once Stella and Auel are out of action the EA are gonna wind up in trouble.)

So, did you guys like? I think Athrun proves rather weak in SEED Destiny, hardly going into SEED mode at all, (but it'll still take a while to get his feelings sorted out, which may be a journey ending with Athrun and Cagalli going on the Chicky-chicky-bang-bang train.) so I'm making him a bit more resilient, and may pass Savior onto Cagalli later. (Or he takes it to Gibraltar to get Meer away from Durandal and it gets captured and passed to Mayu.)

Hmm…how's about a vote? Savior goes to whom?

Choices are:

A) Cagalli? (Of course, she'll have the Akatsuki, but it's not like she wouldn't pass the Akatsuki to Neo/Mu earlier than canon.)

B) Meer? (Makes no sense, but weirder things have happened, I guess.)

C) Mayu? (Obviously modifying its VPS for pink armor. To the intense disgust of Athrun. The guy's gotta have some honor, come on! Fighting his own hand-me downs, and Pink no less! It's like a mobile suit-sized Haro nightmare! God…I'll have to use that later. But I'm also planning on giving Mayu Chaos later. Simply to connect her to Rey, both their units will have the Dragoon system.)

D) Lacus? (Kira's a pilot, it's not like he couldn't teach her to pilot mobile suits. She did pilot Infinite Justice, after all. Plus, I love seeing her in that pink pilot suit. She looks a really good match for Kira. Which spawns weird comments about Shinn and Luna vs. Kira and Lacus. Oh my god, that's not a bad match.)

E) Stella? (Doesn't suit her, does it?)


	11. Shadows of a Parent

**Phase 11: Shadows of a Parent**

Arthur stepped into Talia's private quarters. Talia looked up from a scrapbook and set it in her desk.

"What is it, Arthur?"

"Ma'am. The prisoner wishes to speak with you. He said his name was Canard Pars." Talia looked up, surprised.

"Canard?"

# # #

Athrun listened as Kira explained his theories about Mu and his sister. He kept eyeing Cagalli, who was sitting near him, but she didn't look at him.

"So…you think the enemy commander is Mu, and that Gaia's pilot is your long-lost sister. That doesn't sound entirely impossible, but how do we get them on our side?"

Kira sighed. "I don't know." The Archangel has submerged, since Shani had taken care of the submarines, Forbidden's upgrades allowing it to run almost as long as Freedom or Justice.

"That explains why Clotho had trouble with the bitch." Orga said, gaining an angry stare from Kira and Clotho.

# # #

Talia walked into the brig and stopped at Canard's cell. He looked up to see her and smiled. He stood up and walked to bars.

"Hello, Canard." Talia said, frowning.

"Hello. Mother." Canard said. His expression softened.

"I'd like it if you'd call me by my name." Talia said.

"Via Hibiki? Or Talia Gladys?" Canard sighed. "I thought it was you. I read the background of Talia Gladys. You were with Gilbert Durandal for a while, but left because you wanted Children. That was after you met dad, and we were gone, so I assumed you really missed your real children."

"How are Kira, Cagalli, and Stella?"

"Kira and Cagalli are fine, but Stella's…she was recruited into the Atlantic Federation's Extendeds program. She's got Gamma Glypheptin overdose." Talia's eyes widened.

"Canard, you have to save her. I can release you."

"I'm not going anywhere. I want to pull our family back together, mom. I want to be a family." He went back to the bunk and laid down.

# # #

Rey walked into his room and was about to remove his jacket when he keeled over and gave a scream, panicking. He searched around, pulled out a bottle of pills, and swallowed two. He was left panting, when Shinn walked into the room.

"You okay? I heard a scream…and I-"

"Get out." Rey growled, angered by the intrusion on his privacy. He looked at the bottle of pills. "Almost out. Dammit."

# # #

Kira walked into the R&R room of the Archangel, followed by Lacus and Cagalli. Kira went to the separate men's section of the man-made hot spring and undressed, then sat down in the hot water.

# # #

Athrun pulled off his pilot suit to reveal his ZAFT uniform. The FAITH bade on his chest gleamed cleanly and golden, exactly the opposite of how Athrun felt. He still felt sick at himself from sleeping with Meer.

"You okay?" Waltfeld asked from the doorway.

Athrun sighed. "Not really."

"We got a hot tub in the R&R room. You want me to lead you to it?"

Athrun sighed and sat back. "As tempting as that sounds, I think I'll pass, for now."

"Alrighty. Let me know if you change your mind. Or ask Kira or Cagalli."

'I wish I was brave enough to tell her what happened with Meer and beg for forgiveness.' No. That wouldn't help. That would be more about her than Athrun. He sighed and stood up. He needed to tell her.

# # #

Cagalli wrapped herself in a robe as Lacus went over to join Kira. Cagalli walked out just as Andy and Athrun rounded the corner.

"Well, that's it." Waltfeld said, then returned to the direction of the bridge.

"Athrun?" Cagalli asked. Athrun approached her, nervously, and hesitantly offered her his hand. She took it, and they started down the halls.

"Cagalli, I did something terrible to you. And I can't shake the awful feeling I have inside me, eating me alive, making me feel…contaminated…so badly I can't wash it off."

"Athrun, It's okay. You needed a Gundam. I understand it."

"No! No, that's not what I'm talking about. I…" Athrun took a deep breath. "The fake Lacus, Meer. My father never officially ended the engagement I had with Lacus, and she went to my hotel room in the Plants with me. I'm…I'm so sorry. I was weak, I felt betrayed when you left the docks with Yuna instead of me and Kira, and I was confused and sad, and I…lost control." He was crying now. Cagalli's eyes widened, hurt and shocked.

"You…" Suddenly angry, she ripped her hand from his and ran off as Athrun collapsed to the deck, sobbing, leaning against the wall.

"I'm sorry, Cagalli." He said, crying. "I'm so sorry." He looked up, and saw Cagalli was gone. "It was a mistake. Idiot! Just a mistake. You should've never come back to Earth. You idiot!" He shouted and sobbed and sobbed and shouted at himself.

Kira rounded the corner and saw Athrun. He kneeled down beside him. "Athrun? Athrun!" Athrun looked at Kira, tears streaking his cheeks, but he looked stoic, like he'd burned out the sadness part of his brain. "What's wrong?"

"I was weak. I slept with her."

"Wha? Who?" Kira asked, confused.

"Meer. The fake Lacus." Kira stood up, eyes wide, suddenly understanding.

"You tried to explain and apologize to Cagalli." Athrun nodded and rolled into a ball against the wall. Kira looked to Lacus.

"Try to cheer him up for me, will ya? I'll talk to Cagalli."

# # #

Kira walked into Cagalli's room. She was crying, hugging her pillow to her chest. He walked over and sat down beside Cagalli, not looking up from the floor.

"You wanna…talk about it?" he asked. Cagalli sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Talk about what? I hate him." She looked at Kira. "Tell him to go! I don't want to see him ever again! Tell him to go! Please!" Her eyes teared up again.

"No, Cagalli. He feels even worse about it than you do. If you push him away now, he'll only cry harder. And then that sorrow will turn into anger. Not at himself, either. He'll be angry with you. You have to forgive him, Cagalli. Right now, it's the only thing you can do that won't destroy the both of you."

"I don't love him anymore, Kira! I don't love him! Now will you tell him to go?!"

Kira closed his eyes, lacing his fingers together. "No." Cagalli started crying full tilt now, and she fell onto Kira's shoulder. Kira's hands went on her shoulder and head, stroking her hair.

# # #

"I'll leave. I shouldn't have come in the first place." Athrun said, no longer sobbing.

"No, Athrun, you can't leave." Lacus said, her hands on his shoulders.

"Why not?! She hates me now! All I had up 'til now was her, and Now I've got nothing! What am I supposed to do now?! **Tell me, Lacus**!!" Lacus saw Cagalli round the corner. Athrun looked down at the floor, sucking in air.

"Athrun?" Athrun turned, shocked, eyes wide. "I'm sorry I was mad at you. And I forgive you." Athrun lunged on Cagalli, shouting, and picked her up and kissed her.

# # #

Rey and Shinn looked up at the Dreadnought H.

"Why would Athrun betray us like that?" Shinn asked.

"I don't know." Rey admitted. "But the fact is, now you have to destroy him. We can't let Savior go to the Earth Forces."

# # #

Talia turned to the picture of her holding Kira and Cagalli. A single tear escaped her eye, and she closed the book and set it in her desk.

# # #

**Shortest so far, (I'm not happy about it, but I can't get the non-battle chapters to work. This sucks!) But, we do have a lot of revelations, so I guess I got in more quality than quantity. But sadly, this was only about 3 and 3/4****ths ****long.**

**But if I have to do this much of it for 40 more chapters (possibly less,) I'm gonna need some help. Still no idea what the next volume is gonna be called, so I leave it to you. Any suggestions will be appreciated. (Remember, it's gonna be the destruction of the Abyss and the introduction of Haine and his GOUF Ignited.)**


	12. Star Crossed Lovers

**Gundam SEED Destiny: Gaia's Dash**

_First, the winner of the vote: Mayu, with 3, then: Lacus and Cagalli tie with 2, Stella, with 1, and Meer, with a grand total of 0. Nobody likes Meer. Why is that? I didn't make her annoying, did I? BUT, some of you did vote twice, so there's the final round at the end of the chapter. And saying because Meer slept with Athrun is not a credible reason. To all those involved, Athrun slept with Meer. Hate Athrun. Meer's just unlucky. Very, Very, very, very unlucky._

Phase 12: Star-crossed Lovers

Shinn walked out of the rental, dressed in a white shirt, his white vest, and dark brown khakis, and walked over to the bike he rented, motorcycle helmet in one hand, and the keys in the other.

Mayu watched Shinn ride off.

# # #

Rey was talking to Lunamaria when Mayu was suddenly clinging to his arm.

"Well! I guess that leaves us all to ourselves! Want to go on a picnic?" Mayu asked, grinning, her eyes closed.

"Uh…well, I was going to find a piano parlor and-"

"Great! I'll come with you!" (Fangirl much?)

# # #

Athrun walked onto the observation deck of the Archangel, dressed only in jeans and a T-shirt, and looking extremely disheveled. Athrun saw Kira and suddenly noticed he smelled like sex, and he hadn't taken a shower. Kira's head turned in Athrun's direction.

"Shani? You can kill Athrun now if you want."

Athrun gave a shout and ran off. Kira's eyebrows went up.

"Didn't he notice Shani's not in the room?"

# # #

Sven watched as a new arm was fitted to the Strike E, teeth gritted. He'd lost his cool, and in the process lost an arm. Muldie was standing nearby, hands on her hips, smirking. Sven looked over his shoulder at the pilot and narrowed his eyes.

"What do you want?" he growled.

"Oh! Uh…nothing." Muldie said, walking off. Sven narrowed his eyes even more and looked back to the Strike E.

"I'll destroy those Coordinators. Every last one of you…for what you did to Mom and Dad."

# # #

Rey looked like he was being tortured while the three females were shopping. He briefly looked around, and started to sneak off while they were changing.

"Hey, Rey?! Where ya goin'?!" Lunamaria asked. Rey turned around like lighting.

"Uh…I need to go to the bathroom!" He ran off.

Lunamaria frowned, narrowing her eyes at the retreating Rey. She turned to Mayu and Meyrin. "Hey, ladies! Wanna blow out Rey's kneecaps?"

Rey turned, looking morbid. "You-you wouldn't!"

"First to three wins!" Lunamaria shouted, chasing after Rey with her pistol at the ready.

# # #

Talia walked into the Minerva's hangar and sat down in the bench in front of Canard's cell. Canard sat up and leaned his back against the wall, facing Talia.

"So, where are we, mom?" Talia sighed.

"I'm not your mother, Canard. I'm not Via Hibiki anymore. They killed me seventeen years ago." Canard frowned.

"If Kira knew he'd tell you very differently."

# # #

Stella was smiling, swinging her legs over the edge of the cliff, looking down at the ocean. She turned to see a guy on a motorcycle stop nearby and pull off his helmet, taking out a map and examining it.

Stella stood up and started swirling, smiling to herself.

# # #

Shinn's gaze was drawn from the map to the blonde girl dancing. Shinn was transfixed. She was just…beautiful. Shinn couldn't look away. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He looked back to the map and heard a shout. He looked up. She was gone! She'd fallen over the cliff. Shinn jumped from the bike and dived after her. It was thoughtless, and Shinn didn't care what happened.

# # #

Kira looked over his shoulder. He'd felt…something.

# # #

Neo looked up from his book. Something had shouted out.

# # #

Shinn caught the girl and turned over so his back would hit first. He straightened out so he fell in feet first. He pounded against the water, and surfaced, sucking in a gust of air.

The girl was screaming her head off. "I can't swim! I can't swim!!"

"Hang on, will ya?!" He put an arm around her middle and started kicking, heading for a nearby cave. It was harder than it looked. He gripped the edge and pulled himself and the girl over the edge, smoothed over by the tide. He coughed water from his lungs and rolled over on his back, letting go of the girl. He looked to see if she was safe and froze.

"Hey…I know you, you were at Armory One." The girl just looked at Shinn, panting, and passed out. Shinn sat up and carried her inside.

# # #

Stella woke up against the cold hard cave floor, and sat up.

"Morning." The boy said. She turned to see the boy that had saved her sitting next to a fire. "I called my sister. She'll be around to pick us up tomorrow."

"Uh…thanks."

She sat down next to the fire and rubbed her arms. She was getting goosebumps.

"So…uh…what's your name?"

"Stella." Stella said, as if it didn't matter.

"I'm Shinn." He paused, nervous. "So, why'd ya go dancing that close to a cliff? Did ya wanna die?"

"Die?! NO! I don't wanna die!" She suddenly stood up, trying to guard herself. Shinn stared, shocked. "I'm not gonna die!!" Shinn stood up and put his arms around Stella.

"Don't worry, you're safe. I'll protect you, Stella. Just don't worry, okay?" Stella calmed.

"You'll…you'll protect me? You'll protect Stella?"

"Yeah." He said, reassuringly.

# # #

Shinn and Stella stood at the entrance of the cave, holding hands, as the boat approached, Mayu standing on the front deck.

_Shinn handed Stella a handkerchief. "You might want to clean up that blood on your ankle." Stella smiled and accepted it. Stella suddenly sat straighter and looked around, picking up a pink seashell. She went over and sat down by Shinn, who tried to ignore Stella's nudity._

"_Take this. I get this hanky, you get the seashell." Shinn accepted it with a smile._

Shinn smiled and looked at Stella. She smiled back. He pulled Stella closer and wrapped her in a hug.

"Don't worry about dying, Stella. I'll protect you as long as I live."

# # #

_Rushed, I know, and most likely the worst chapter I've done so far, but, hey, it's an update, right? Right? Guys? Girls? Peoples?_ 00 _Guys, you're still there, right?_

_So, as I said, the Final Round Vote. You can only vote for one, you vote for two you're disqualified (and if you're unlucky, blocked,) and the winner will (eventually) receive Athrun's Savior Gundam._

_A) Lacus- My personal favorite, but it's you choice. Although technically I can vote._

_B) Mayu- My least favorite choice, but may be an important character later on. Note: If she doesn't receive Savior, she'll receive Chaos instead, so be aware of that._

_C) Cagalli- I'll admit, having Cagalli just pilot the Akatsuki sounds better, since it does have some of Savior's abilities._

_Well, vote well, and don't cry to me if you don't like the winner. I'm turning mean, aren't I?_


	13. Blood in the Water

_Phase 13: Blood in the Water_

Athrun blocked the Gun launcher round from Verde Buster, then fired his twin beam cannons, forcing Verde Buster to retreat. Blu Duel rushed Savior, and Athrun reversed, drawing a beam saber. He locked blades with Blu Duel, then kicked it away and boosted up, firing his beam cannons, blasting off the Duel's arm.

# # #

"You bastard!" Muldie cried. She turned to see Forbidden, and charged.

# # #

Kira looked over his shoulder to where Freedom was beeping from, only to groan. The Minerva had just arrived.

"They're here, Athrun!"

# # #

"Great! And I was just thinking we couldn't get anymore screwed!"

The Strike Noir slashed at Savior. Athrun blocked the blade and kicked the suit away, sidestepping.

# # #

Sven fired a rocket anchor and hit the Savior's leg, and pulled. Savior ducked his slash, then moved to cut off Strike Noir's arm. Sven kicked Savior in the face, knocking to the ocean, then fired his railguns after it, pounding its armor. He looked at the Minerva.

"Stella, you take the ship. I'll handle Raider." He boosted at the black and red mobile suit, drawing back his beam blade.

# # #

Shinn was immediately under attack as soon as he formed the Force Impulse, trading beam shots with Gaia.

# # #

Sven severed Raider's legs and boosted at the Impulse, drawing his twin beam pistols. He fired at the Impulse, trying to shoot its rifle out of its hands.

Suddenly, an orange suit was between the Impulse and Strike Noir, and slashed off the Strike Noir's pistol with one slash. Sven reversed.

"What the hell is that?!"

# # #

"Minerva, this is Haine Westenfluss. I'll cover you." The suit boosted for the Strike Noir, which drew its twin beam blades. Haine slashed, knocking one blade from the Strike Noir's hands, and caught the other with its heat rod.

The Strike Noir fired its railguns. Haine caught the bolts with his shield.

"This is no Zaku, pal! NO ZAKU!" Haine threw the Strike Noir at the ocean. He charged for Gaia, only to be interrupted by a beam cannon blast from Abyss.

# # #

"Get away from Stella!" Auel cried, boosting at the new mobile suit. He stabbed out with Abyss's beam lance. The orange suit caught it and slashed at Abyss with its sword. Auel boosted backwards.

Gaia charged the suit from behind, beam blades activated. The orange suit spun and kicked Gaia.

# # #

Athrun locked blades with Chaos. The Archangel suddenly fired its Gottfrieds, and Chaos dodged the twin beams. Athrun fired his beam cannons, blasting off Chaos's leg. Athrun transformed and headed for the orange suit. Freedom flew between the two and stopped Savior with its arm.

'Athrun, you're almost out of power. Retreat for now.'

"What?! What are you gonna do?"

# # #

"Just retreat, will ya?" Kira shouted. He drew a beam saber and headed for Gaia.

# # #

Shinn saw the Freedom moving.

"Minerva! Send out the Blast Silhouette!"

# # #

A beam rifle blast suddenly interrupted Kira's path. He turned to see the Impulse lock on the Blast Silhouette pack and aim its beam cannons at Freedom. Kira dodged the twin blasts and fired his own cannons at the Impulse. The Impulse dodged and drew twin beam javelins.

# # #

Auel grinned maniacally. "Gotcha now!" He fired his Callidus beam cannon straight at the Impulse. The Impulse blocked the shot and stabbed out with its beam javelin. The beam point pierced Abyss's beam cannon and went straight through. The cockpit suddenly started exploding around Auel. Hs eyes wide, he pulled on the handle under his seat. Nothing happened.

Auel screamed. "I can't eject! I can't eject!" His main screen exploded, glass shards blasting like a shotgun, shattering his helmet's visor, a large chunk piercing his forehead, showering blood over his face. "STELLA! I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE!!"

# # #

The Abyss, its Callidus cannon sparking, arcs of electricity jumping across its armor, suddenly exploded. Then the explosion winked out. There was nothing left.

Shinn grinned. "One down!" He boosted at Gaia. Freedom suddenly kicked him aside. He gave a shout as he hit the ocean.

# # #

Haine slashed at Gaia. It would've been a killing blow. Except about midway through the attack, Freedom had sliced off his sword blade. Haine gritted his teeth and wrapped a heat rod around Gaia, and dragged it to the Minerva.

# # #

Shinn raised out of the water, only to be kicked to land by Freedom. Freedom landed atop the Impulse, and aimed its beam rifle dead at Shinn's cockpit.

"What are you doing, Kira?"

# # #

Kira narrowed his eyes.

"I fought three whole months to bring this whole world peace, and you just throw it away in a few seconds. You could've disabled Abyss! You should've disable Abyss!"

# # #

Rey saw Freedom pin the Impulse and blasted off the deck of the Minerva.

# # #

"Disable Abyss? What world are you living in? In a war, you kill! You don't disable!"

# # #

"You kill? You're right. In a WAR, you kill, and the cycle just continues. You kill, and you kill, and you kill, until there's nobody left to kill, or you're killed! Until you're both dead! Is that what you want?! If you want to kill and kill and kill, maybe I should kill you right here!!" Freedom's finger tightened on the trigger of its rifle.

# # #

Shinn's eyes went wide. He caught a flash of red and aimed. "FINE!" He fired. The Strike Rouge took the beam blast in the arm, which exploded.

# # #

Kira was suddenly in SEED Mode and cut the damaged limb off before it started a chain reaction. The Strike Rouge was smoking. Kira grabbed it around the middle and flew off.

# # #

Rey landed next to the Impulse and looked down on the prone mobile suit.

"Shinn? Are you alright? Shinn!"

# # #

Shinn chuckled, his eyes still wide. Then he burst into laughter. His voice was broadcast across the battlefield. The entire battle was punctuated by Shinn's insane laughter.

"Ha ha! Oh, how wrong I'll prove you, Kira!" Shinn shouted between fits of laughter.

# # #

Muldie slammed her fist against the wall. Sven stepped out the Strike Noir, not fazed at all by the loss of both Stella and Auel. Sting ran up and grabbed Sven's shoulders.

"We gotta go get Stella! We can't just leave her to die." He was knocked flying by Sven's backhanded slap.

"Burn this into your drug-laden brain, Sting. You're equipment. You only come back if you make it back yourself. So stop crying over Trigger-happy and the Blonde Psycho. You won't even remember both their names after tonight." Sven smiled nastily as two scientists picked Sting up by the arms.

"Who was piloting that damned Forbidden! He's so…" Muldie growled.

"The most unstable of the Extendeds. Shani Andras, of course." Sven said, then walked away. Muldie froze, eyes wide.

"Shani?! THAT Shani?!"

# # #

Hmm…seems Sven's gone off the deep end and come out an asshole. I'm gonna try something new after this, (assuming I remember to do it.) So, here's to questions.

1) What do you think will happen to Stella?

2) Why do you think Rey rushed to save Shinn?

3) Do you think Shinn will become better or worse after this chapter?


	14. Reunion

_wow, two updates in two days. Don't you feel spoiled. (If you say no, I'll never update again. Wait, on second thought, I'll block you. No need to get the others after your blood.)_

_Phase 14: Reunion_

Athrun stepped out of his mobile suit as Freedom set Strike Rouge down. Cagalli dropped to the ground on the zip line and started for the elevator. Kira just sat inside Freedom. Athrun raised to the cockpit and sat down on the open cockpit hatch.

# # #

Shinn stepped out of the Impulse and dropped to the deck. He watched multiple guards try to subdue the Gaia's pilot, when her helmet suddenly came off, showing a mane of blonde hair. Shinn's eyes went wide. No. It couldn't be her. He ran to the guards and pushed one aside, and grabbed the girl's shoulder and pulled her around.

She saw Shinn and punched him in the face, knocking him over. He got to his feet, wiping the blood of his lip.

"Stella! Calm down! We won't hurt you." Stella calmed, but didn't lower her fists. "Stella? Don't you remember me? I'm Shinn, remember?" He pulled off his helmet.

Stella's face registered shock, then she passed out. Shinn checked her pulse. "She's fine. Take her to the brig." A pair of Guards picked Stella up and carried her away. A third followed them, assault rifle at the ready.

# # #

Talia turned away from Canard to see the guards bring in Stella. She stared, eyes wide.

"Who is this?" she asked.

"The pilot of Gaia, ma'am. The Gouf and the Impulse captured her."

"Set in the cell next to the other prisoner. Then leave us."

"Ma'am." Talia stepped aside as the guards set Stella inside the cell next to Canard's and walked out, closing the door after them. Talia pulled out her machine pistol and handed it to Canard.

"The code is 225263. Stella's is 783552." (Ten points to anybody who tells me how I got those numbers. Here's a hint, use a phone.)

Canard looked from the pistol to Talia. "Mom, there's…something I have to tell you."

Talia raised a brow and stepped closer, within whispering distance of Canard.

"If I don't make this look real, you're busted." He then slammed the butt of his pistol into Talia's shoulder with all his strength. Talia went out like a light. Canard entered the code into the keypad, and opened the door. He walked over to the next cell and opened the lock, then picked Stella up and set her against his chest like she was a three-month-old baby. He walked out of the brig and fired the pistol three times, taking out the three guards. He ran to the elevator and hit the button for the mobile suit deck. He sprinted to his Dreadnought H and jumped to the cockpit. He sat down in the GuAIZ-like cockpit and powered up its phase shift.

Bullets pinged off of The Dreadnought's phase shift armor, as Canard sprayed down the hangar with his CIWS and "Picus" machine guns, then turned to the linear catapult and unfolded his twin beam cannons. He fired, blasting apart the catapult door, and flew out, kicking up a wave of white water in his wake.

He saw the Archangel beginning to submerge.

"No! Wait!" he shouted into the radio.

# # #

Kira's eyes went wide, and he suddenly turned and pushed the catapult doors open. Athrun gave a shout and held on. Dreadnought H shot past them and ground to a stop, then Kira closed the catapult doors before the whole ship flooded.

# # #

Canard, freshly changed and showered, set Stella on the next to Cagalli and sat down opposite of her. Cagalli sat down beside him.

"She's our baby sister?" Cagalli asked.

"Not necessarily baby, but yeah."

Stella stirred. Canard sighed and sat down on the bed. Stella opened her eyes and instantly sat up, wary.

"It's okay Stella. You're safe. Get some sleep, okay? We'll explain everything to you tomorrow."

# # #

Lacus stepped into her and Kira's shared quarters and sat down on the bed, while Kira laid down, Birdy standing on his chest.

"Um, Kira?" Kira smiled at Lacus and sat up, Birdy flapping away. "I need…to go into space."

"Why?"

Lacus lowered her eyes. "We designed new gundams for you and Athrun. I have to go see them complete."

"Then I'll come with you." Kira said, standing, determination edging his voice.

"But Kira, you need to protect the Archangel."

"We've got five more great pilots than just me on this ship, you know." Kira said, smiling. "I won't even take Freedom, I'll use our spare Murasame."

"But! But Kira!"

"You know you're not gonna convince me to stay, Lacus." Lacus sighed and smiled, touching her belly.

"I should know." She admitted. Kira looked at the hand touching her belly, then looked back to Lacus, eyes questioning. She met his gaze and nodded. Kira's eyes went wide. He sat down and just stared at Lacus. "Kira, I'm sorry. I…I'll get-" she was stopped by Kira's finger on her lips.

"Don't. Don't you dare. I'm not angry. I'm just surprised." Kira smiled. "I won't be like my father, snuffing out life with a flick of a switch." Lacus looked up at Kira, eyes tearing up, and leapt into his arms. "But…uh…let's keep it a secret from Athrun and Cagalli until we can't hide it anymore. I don't wanna give them ideas."

Lacus smiled and nodded.

# # #

Athrun activated Savior, and started running system checks, when Savior gave a beep. A window appeared, Durandal sitting down.

'Athrun. Why are you not on the Minerva?'

"Sir! You asked me to use Savior to fight for peace. I believe that peace lies with the Archangel."

'Athrun,' Durandal started.

"Were my orders to do otherwise?"

Durandal gritted his teeth, then smiled, closing them. 'Fine, Athrun. But I want you to report to Gibraltar for Meer's concert.'

"Sir, I'll be there, sir."

# # #

**Well, good news. I finally have the whole Gundam SEED Special Edition, (for a guy with no cartoon network, it's great. For one thing, no disco guns.) And I finally know Rau le Cruset and Rey have nothing in common but mobile suits and genes. Hmm…anybody suppose Rau got heatstroke from the Agni Cannon? (If he did, I'd hate to imagine how crazy Neo could've turned out from the Lohengrin.)**

**Well, to questions:**

**You think Cagalli will visit the concert? (Disguised of course.)**

**Who do you think will pilot Freedom while Kira's gone? (No more voting, that turned out pretty badly the first round. Two people voted twice, one not at all.)**

**Oh, and the winner of the vote by a mini-landslide (it was 7 people voting, what do you expect?) Lacus. With the majority of reviews. (I counted 5 or something.) And Cagalli was the sucker, getting a diss. (One diss. "Waste of a good suit," I believe were his choice words.) Oh, and avoid giving out your address to anyone on the net. Cagalli's a real bitch sometimes, and both of her older brothers are computer whizzes. And they both pilot nuclear-powered weapons of mass.**


	15. Gibralter

_I found out not long ago that Muldie is actually Mudie, and the Girty Lue's captain is known as Ian Lee, but I'll stick to Muldie for know. And when does Ian next show up? Oh, for his death scene, about 35 frickin' chapters away! I don't think it'll matter. And I downloaded several songs from Gundam SEED and GSD, so I can hopefully write a little better now. (I downloaded the theme for Death Note, but that didn't help much._

Phase 15: Gibraltar

"Meer will be there, so there may be a free shuttle ride waiting for you." Athrun informed Lacus and Kira. "But why go into outer space?"

"There are things we need to do." Kira said. He stood up and faced Athrun. "Athrun, I'm leaving Freedom here, for you."

"But Kira, I have Savior, I don't need-"

"It's there in case you need it. With Orb entering the conflict, I think you may need it. I told Shani, Clotho, and Orga to protect the Archangel. I need you to protect something more important to the both of us. Cagalli."

Athrun smiled and nodded. "Alright."

# # #

Kira and Lacus were walking down the hall when Canard stuck his head out of his quarters.

"Kira! I need you to come here. There's someone you have to meet, and hurry, she's about to wake up." Kira walked into the room and saw Stella on the bed, raising her head. "Stella. She's our baby sister." Kira smiled. "Kira, she piloted Gaia." Kira's eyes went wide. Gaia's pilot?! She'd tried to kill him! Twice!

"They killed him…They killed Auel!" Stella screamed. "Shinn! Shinn killed Auel!"

"The pilot of Abyss?" Stella's eyes suddenly went wide, and then screamed, holding her head. Shani rounded the corner and shouted a curse. Kira turned.

"What's wrong with her?!" Shani ran to Stella's side, and checked her eyes, holding down her head with one hand.

"Gamma Glypheptin overdose. She needs that retrovirus you gave me. Now!"

"She's in withdrawal, she'll get over it. Just give her some painkillers." Canard said.

Shani turned to Canard, yanking out his earbuds. "You don't understand, it's an overdose. They shot her up so full of the shit it's in her skin. You just can't smell it because you never got on it. If she doesn't get the retrovirus working on her fast, she's gonna go into a coma, then die. I'd say she's got three hours." Shani picked her up and carried her out, pushing Canard out of the way.

# # #

Shani finally walked out of the infirmary, and slumped into a chair.

"She'll be fine. But it looks like they did some brainwashing too. Once you crack that, you have a beautiful baby sister." Shani popped his earbuds in and listened to his music. "Weirdoes."

"Look who's talking." Canard shot back.

Kira shook his head and turned just as Athrun walked into the infirmary.

"Kira, Lacus? It's time."

# # #

Durandal was working on paperwork when there was a knock on the door. He sighed and pushed aside the paperwork.

"Come in." Talia walked into his office, dressed in a simple dress, her hair straightened. She didn't look like Talia. She looked like her old self. Durandal blinked, surprised. "Talia, why are you…"

"I saw…Stella."

"Stella?" Durandal asked, surprised. "What does your daughter have to do with this?"

"It's not just Stella. Canard, Cagalli, and even Kira. And I haven't seen them since they were babies. I can't…I can't do this. I can't be Talia Gladys if I feel like Via." Durandal lowered his head, closing his eyes.

"Does she know?" Durandal asked.

"I don't know." Talia admitted. She gave a sob. She put her hands on her flat belly. "Cagalli." She whispered.

# # #

Cagalli suddenly looked up. She looked to her left to see Athrun, Kira, and Lacus walking by. She set down her book and looked outside the door. She pulled on her shoes and followed after the trio.

"Kira! Where are you going?" Kira turned.

"Cagalli! Go back to your room. We're going to Gibraltar." Kira said.

She approached Kira. "But I…I felt something. Like I was with that Gladys woman again, and with…mother. I…I need to see Gladys."

"Cagalli," Kira started.

"I don't care if it's dangerous!" Kira sighed and chuckled.

"You're never gonna listen to me, are you?"

"Of course not, you're too big an idiot." Cagalli said, smiling.

Kira sighed again. "Fine. But stay with Athrun." He pulled on sunglasses and walked down the hall after Lacus. Cagalli smiled and followed. Cagalli saw Lacus and frowned.

"Uh, Lacus, is it just me…or do your breasts seem bigger?" Athrun blushed, and Kira put his face in his hands. He was tempted to say 'give it a few months.'

Lacus smiled. "It's just you." Then she shot a glare at Kira that said 'this is _your_ fault.'

# # #

Shinn watched the sea. He could see the Archangel. What if Stella was there?

"Kinda humbling, isn't it?" Haine asked. Shinn stood up and saluted. "At ease. I'm Haine Westenfluss. Don't call me commander or something like that. We're all pilots here. I piloted that Orange GOUF Ignited that helped you guys out earlier."

"Uh…Haine…what did you mean it's humbling?" Shinn asked, lowering his hand.

"Well, everybody on that ship fought against impossible odds, and they won. Hell, I got shot down by Justice, and I was in a GuAIZ experimental firearms type."

"Huh. Athrun's just a traitor." Haine looked at Shinn, eyes narrowed.

"That maybe so. But he makes both of us look like rookies." Haine walked off.

Shinn gritted his teeth, looking back at the archangel. 'Rookies, huh?'

# # #

Kira helped Lacus off of the small inflatable boat while Athrun helped Cagalli. Kira turned to Athrun.

"Well…I guess it's goodbye again." Kira said. Athrun frowned and nodded.

# # #

Meer looked over the roaring crowd from the hand of the pink Zaku Warrior, painted especially for her. She frowned when she couldn't see Athrun.

# # #

"_I hope I never have to fight you again."_

Durandal smiled as Meer started to sing.

# # #

Kira and Lacus walked away, arm in arm. Athrun looked away, then headed for the concert. Cagalli followed Athrun, only to run right into Talia Gladys as she rounded the corner, knocking both of them down.

Talia looked to see Cagalli and froze. "C-Cagalli?"

# # #

_Dun-dun-duh! What we need near this chapter is a big boss fight-esque thing. Looks like we're heading for the Lohengrin gate, and we ain't doin't Athrun's way, so Shinn gonna get his whiny-ass kicked! Yahoo! Man, I really need to get to the Destroy. Then I can start blowing #& up._


	16. Interlude

Phase XX: Ascending White Angel

"You seem more aggressive." Waltfeld noted, wiping his brow. "I haven't had a work out that good since the LaGOWE."

Kira stopped in his tracks, and removed his helmet from behind his back, dropping his hand to his side, helmet clutched in it. He didn't say anything. Waltfeld sat down on a bench and just watched Kira.

"Well?" Waltfeld asked, smiling encouragingly.

"I can't lose." Waltfeld sat straighter with a 'hmm?' "Because if I lost, there'd just be more war. I'm not gonna let it. So I'm gonna win, without killing anybody, no matter what it takes."

"Sounds difficult." Waltfeld said.

"The right path always is." Kira said, smiling.

"You don't wanna lose, huh? You haven't yet." Kira frowned again.

"Only twice. I only lost twice. The first was when Athrun trapped me with the Aegis. The second was when…" He closed his eyes and shook his head clear.

"When?" Waltfeld prompted.

"Flay." Kira said, looking up again. "That's my last reason for fighting. I won't let what happened to Flay happen to Lacus. If she died…"

"Like you'd let that happen." Andrew said. "You're a hell of a lot better than anyone in ZAFT of the Earth Forces, or Orb."

Kira smiled. "You're right, but that doesn't help me sleep at night."

# # #

Short Placeholder


	17. Once More into the Dawn Skies

_ I repeat, Alex Strassmeier is not mine. I'm just borrowing him._

Phase 16: Once More into the Dawn Skies

Sven watched Gibraltar with his jaw set. How many of those Coordinators could he kill with a surprise attack? He looked to Neo.

"Captain, might I recommend a surprise attack?" Neo turned to Sven.

"Are you prepped for launch?" Neo asked.

Sven grinned, eyes narrowing. "Always."

Neo smiled. "Fine. Prepare to launch missiles. Sven, Muldie, Shams, you handle the first line of defenders. Sting provide support for the Windams. The Archangel will certainly launch its Gundams. In that case, Sven, you handle Calamity, Shams, you handle Raider, and Muldie, you can take Forbidden." Muldie looked at Neo, mouth opening to say something. Neo noticed her expression and turned. "Is that a problem?"

"No problem." Sven assured, then gave Muldie a glare. He leaned near her. "If you let your feelings get in the way, I will shoot you down myself."

# # #

Durandal turned as Athrun entered the room.

"Ah! Athrun! So glad you could come."

Athrun saluted, then sat down beside Durandal.

# # #

Cagalli looked at Talia, eyes wide. "Captain Gladys! Sorry for running into you." Talia stood up and smiled.

"It's no problem, Cagalli." Cagalli stood up and brushed herself off.

"Actually, I came to ask you a question. Did you know Via Hibiki." Talia froze.

"I…knew her. But you should ask Canard about her. I don't really remember her well."

"Well, I do." Rey said. Cagalli turned to Rey, who walked out of the shadows holding a machine pistol, aimed straight at Cagalli. "She _is_ Via Hibiki." Cagalli looked from Rey to Talia, eyes wide. Talia clenched a fist.

"Shut up!" she whispered. "Don't listen to him, Cagalli."

"'Don't listen to _me?_' Canard would've just told her the same thing." Flash Rey's eyes shot wide, and he looked to his left just as Kira kicked him in the temple. Then Cagalli heard a blowgun go off, and dart landed in the back of Kira's neck. Kira's hand went to the dart, then he fell to the floor.

"Kira!" Talia shouted, then dropped to his side. Shinn walked out from around the corner, aiming a machine pistol at her. Rey got up and aimed his pistol at Kira's head. Cagalli started for her pistol in her waistband of her jeans. Shinn's pistol went to her.

"Don't try it, _Mrs. Seiran_."

"I'm not Mrs. Seiran. I'm Mrs. Cagalli Yula Zala, thank you!"

"And don't you forget it." Yzak said, aiming a pistol into the back of Shinn's head. Dearka and Shiho had a pistol each against Rey's back.

# # #

"Launch Cruise Missiles!" Neo cried. "Sven, launch your team."

# # #

Sven smiled coldly. "Sven cal Bayang, Strike Noir, Launching." His Strike Noir shot up and away, opening its wings, Sven aiming twin grenade-launcher mounted beam rifles.

# # #

Yzak looked over his shoulder at the sounds of battle.

# # #

A pair of BABIs flew between Sven and the base. Sven narrowed his eyes. 'New models.' He fired his beam rifles, catching one BABI in the head, destroying it. The other BABI, now in mobile armor mode, chased after him, firing its quad vulcans. Sven turned on Strike Noir's back and hit the brakes, flying under the BABI, firing his beam rifles into the suit's chest mounted beam cannon. The suit smoked as it fell into the base and exploded.

# # #

Yzak shoved Shinn aside.

"Get to your mobile suits!" Yzak turned to Kira and Talia. "Lacus!"

"I'm here!" Lacus shouted, running out to meet him. Yzak picked up Kira and started for the center of the base.

"There's a shuttle, but we need to get there now!" Dearka and Shiho followed closely. Talia grabbed Cagalli and started for the Minerva.

# # #

Sven zoomed in on the fleeing ZAFT Commander.

"Oh, no you don't." He boosted after them and landed before them, and aimed a beam rifle. "Die, you damned patchworkers!!"

A grenade struck the Strike Noir, and Sven looked up to see the Dreadnought H in sword mode. Sven raised both beam rifles and fired the underslung grenades. The Dreadnought dodged and fired its backpack-mounted ship-scale CIWS, hammering the Strike Noir's armor.

Sven tossed away both beam rifles and drew his Fragerarch beam blades, and charged, slashing.

# # #

Canard activated his meteor-sized beam sabers and slashed out. The Strike Noir blocked the slash, then fired its wing-mounted railguns, knocking the Dreadnought to the ground.

"Yzak! Run! I'll try to hold him off as long as I can." Canard fired his beam machinegun at the Strike Noir, turning its shoulder and upper arm into Swiss cheese. The shoulder joint exploded, knocking off the arm.

# # #

"Dammit!" Sven cried. He replaced his beam blade and drew a beam pistol, firing it twice. The green beam bounced off the Dreadnought's lightwave shield. Sven gritted his teeth and fired his railguns into the Dreadnought, pounding it into the ground. A beam cannon blast melted off of the Strike Noir's face, then a Mjolnir Hammer knocked off the whole head, Sven's screens going dead. His status screen went red, his battery out.

Sven slammed his fist against the screen, then boosted away, his phase shift going grey.

# # #

Calamity and Raider landed just as Canard pulled Dreadnought to its feet. "Orga, Clotho, defend Gibraltar, Yzak's taking Kira to a shuttle."

# # #

Muldie dodged a beam cannon blast as Forbidden landed, a beam edge igniting from its scythe. Forbidden drew the beam scythe back, then slashed out. Muldie blocked with her beam saber, then fired her 'Shiva' railgun point blank, the round bouncing off of Forbidden's armor.

Muldie switched her frequency to match Forbidden's.

"Shani!"

# # #

Shani's eyes went wide, and he jumped Forbidden backwards, switching to standard mode.

"Muldie?"

# # #

Muldie grinned. "Yeah! It's me!"

# # #

Sven narrowed his eyes at Forbidden and Blu Duel, just standing there.

"Shams, shoot down Forbidden." Verde Buster suddenly turned to Forbidden and combined its beam rifles, then fired the beam cannon. The beam hit Forbidden's backpack, and Forbidden was suddenly a fireball.

# # #

Muldie's eyes went wide, mouth open. She blinked. Shani was…dead? She heard Shams laughter, but she couldn't move.

"No…" she said, barely above a whisper, "no, you can't be dead! No!"

# # #

Shams split his beam rifles again, laughing, and turned away. Suddenly, Forbidden boosted out of the fireball, its backpack missing, and slashed at the Verde Buster. Shams screamed as the beam scythe passed through his midsection.

# # #

Shani turned to the Blu Duel and boosted at it, drawing Forbidden's scythe back.

"Die!" he shouted, slashing.

# # #

Muldie dodged the beam scythe, then fired her railgun.

"Shani! What are you doing?!"

# # #

Orga looked over his shoulder. "Oh, crap! Shani's gone berserk!"

# # #

Clotho shot his Hammer at Forbidden, wrapping the chain around its chest and arms, pinning it. Clotho dropped the handle of the Mjolnir and transformed to Mobile armor, carrying away Forbidden in Raider's claws.

# # #

Muldie cursed as ZAFT's defenders organized and started firing on her. She blocked beam shots with her shoulder shield, then turned and boosted away. Calamity and Dreadnought chased after her, firing their beam cannons.

Neo's Windam boosted in and slashed off Calamity's legs, then beheaded Dreadnought. Both suits backed away and flew off.

Muldie frowned.

"Thanks, Neo."

# # #

Yzak helped the still-barely-conscious Kira to his seat and moved aside for Lacus. He sat down on the next chair, Shiho and Dearka sitting down next to him.

"The battle's already over. The Earth Forces are pulling back." Dearka informed.

"I bet they weren't expecting our new BABI models." Shiho said. "Plus, the Minevra was in the bay, they probably held off a lot of the defenders."

"No." Yzak said. "It was because of Dreadnought, Forbidden, Raider, and Calamity. If they hadn't showed up, they would've overwhelmed us."

Kira touched his forehead and laid his head on Lacus's shoulder, then looked up at her. Lacus smiled. Kira smiled back, then laid his head in her lap and let himself close his eyes.

'You made it, Kira.' Flay said.

"I know." Kira said, then smiled and fell asleep.

# # #

Talia brought Cagalli into her quarters. Cagalli's eyes were brimming with tears.

"Mother, I-" Talia turned and put a finger to Cagalli's lips.

"You be quiet." Talia said softly. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow I'll answer all your questions. Tomorrow." Talia set Cagalli down on the bed. Cagalli nodded and lay down.

Before too long, Cagalli was asleep. Talia took out her contacts, revealing light purple eyes, and changed into her uniform.

Arthur entered. Talia turned.

"Captain, the Chairman is…" Arthur paused at Talia's appearance.

"Yes, Arthur? The Chairman is?"

"Uh…he's coming aboard the Minerva, with Athrun."

Talia nodded. "Fine. Tell him Captain Via Hibiki will be on the bridge." Arthur saluted.

"Yes Ma'am." Via waited until the door closed, then she sat down next to Cagalli and brushed a strand of hair from her face, then kissed her forehead.

"Tomorrow, Cagalli."

# # #

**Wowzers! Cagalli's on the Minerva! Again! And Orb is entering the war for real! I'd just like to point out that I only covered the Gundams, there was a lot more happening, but I wanted to focus on Canard, Sven, and Muldie. Now for questions:**

**1) What do you think Athrun's next orders will be?**

**2) Do you think they can repair Forbidden?**

**3) How will Shinn react to Athrun being back on the ship? (If you can't guess how he'll react, you obviously don't know Shinn.)**

**4) Do you think Meer and Meyrin are out of luck with Athrun?**


	18. New Orders

_Yet again, we draw a close to a volume of Gundam SEED Destiny: Freedom's Flight. So, once again, start thinking on titles. The one after this will most likely involve the Destroy._

Phase 17: New Orders

Durandal led Athrun down the walkway to the Minerva.

"I have new orders for you, to defend the Minerva as a pilot stationed aboard it." Durandal said. He stopped at the door, Arthur waiting for him.

"Sir, Captain Gladys asked me to tell you that Via Hibiki will be waiting on the bridge."

Both Durandal and Athrun's eyes went wide.

"Via…Hibiki? Cagalli's mother?" Athrun asked.

"Um…I didn't know, sir." Arthur said.

# # #

Kira stirred and sat up to find Lacus sleeping, leaning back in her chair. Kira gave a small shout and pulled off his coat, and laid it over her. Kira smiled at her sleeping form. She looked so peaceful. He touched a hand to her belly. It was too early to feel anything, but then Kira had senses a normal human didn't. And he could feel it. There was a presence inside her, like a tiny, pulsing light compared to Kira and Lacus's brilliant star. Kira smiled and sat back in his chair, his eyes closed. Kira turned to see Yzak, who was still awake, his arms crossed, eyes closed.

"How's Alex?" Yzak smirked.

"He's fine. Since Zala was killed, he's been working for Terminal. He still pilots his GuAIZ." Yzak opened his eyes and looked at Kira. The scar across his face was long gone, but Kira hadn't known this.

"Your scar…" Yzak smiled and closed his eyes.

"I didn't have a reason to keep it. The grudge I had with you, it was just stupid."

Kira smiled and looked ahead, closing his eyes. "Thanks."

# # #

Canard slammed his fist down on the table.

"Great! We were shorthanded before, now Kira's gone, Athrun's gone, and Cagalli's gone, and we only have Dreadnought H, Calamity, and Raider operational with pilots."

"We got Forbidden running, but we're going through all our parts just to find a compatible weapon system. The only thing that fits is the old Assault Shroud." Murdoch informed.

Waltfeld sighed. "Well, we have my Murasame, and Shani can pilot Freedom if all else fails."

"We'd have to load a Natural OS, that machine's just too fast for Shani." Canard said. "How is he?" he asked Orga.

"Asleep. And that Stella chick's still too weak to pilot a mobile suit. But we could saddle her with the Strike Rouge."

Canard sighed. "For now, let's just tail the Minerva."

# # #

Athrun followed the blonde ZAFT pilot down the hall of the Minerva, eyes low. Haine looked over his shoulder at Athrun.

"So, you're Savior's pilot." Haine said. "I was the pilot of the GOUF Ignited, the orange one."

Athrun looked up. "I see."

Haine smiled. "Don't worry, no hard feelings. I actually idolized you for a while. How much guts would it take to stand up to the Chairman, and blow yourself up to destroy the Strike? That was impressive. You actually shot me down at Jachin Due."

Athrun smiled to himself. "I shot down a lot of people at Jachin Due."

Haine chuckled. "Ain't that the truth. I piloted a GuAIZ Experimental Firearms type."

Athrun blinked. "Oh. Oh! Uh…that was actually Cagalli." Haine stopped. He turned, eyes wide.

"What?! You mean I got shot down by the girl in the pink Strike?! Are you serious?!"

"Uh, yeah…" Haine's hand went to his head.

"Wow! Your kids are gonna be frickin' badasses!" Athrun scratched his head, laughing nervously.

"Uh…it's a bit early to be talking about kids…right?" Haine just blinked. "Right?"

Haine just shook his head. "Well, good night Athrun. Assuming we're not attacked during the night, right?"

Athrun just smiled. "Right." He walked into his cabin and closed the door.

# # #

Durandal stepped onto the bridge. Via turned her chair to see Durandal, her face firm.

"Talia, why are you-"

"I'm not Talia Gladys, Chairman. Please address me by my real name." Via said, closing her eyes.

"Via, what are you doing?"

"I'm doing what I should've done since Stella was born. I'm taking charge of my own Destiny. Via Hibiki is not going to hide from her mistakes anymore. And if you order me to cease using my real name, I'll have to resign."

Gilbert sighed. "Alright. I just came to tell you, Athrun is on board. Tomorrow he'll retrieve the Savior and bring it aboard."

"Fine." Via turned back to the windows as the Minerva's engines began to hum.

# # #

Shinn stood in the observation room, forehead against the glass, eyes half-lidded. Gibraltar was still on fire in some places, casting a small glow on Shinn's face.

"Stella…" he muttered. She was on the Archangel, that he knew.

# # #

Stella's eyes shot open, and she sat up, clutching the sheet covering her to her chest.

"I see you're awake." Stella turned to see Canard sitting next to her. "I helped get you here, Stella. You're safe."

"Where's…Neo? And Sting?"

"I don't know." Canard admitted. "There's something you need to know, not just about yourself, but your siblings, too."

"Sib-siblings?" Canard sighed and interlocked his hands.

"Yeah. Your mother's name was Via Hibiki. Your father's name was Ulen. You have two older brothers, both of them coordinators, and one big sister, she's a natural."

"I have a big sister? And big brothers?" Stella's eyes lit up, like a kid on Christmas morning. "What are their names?!" she asked excitedly.

"I'm your oldest brother, and my name's Canard. You other older brother is named Kira, and you big sister is named Cagalli."

"Kira? And Cagalli?" Stella smiled and hugged herself, eyes tearing up. Canard smiled. "Are they here, too?"

"No, they wanted to be, but they aren't. But we'll be a family again, when it's over."

Stella frowned, and looked up at the red-haired woman. "Hello?" Canard looked up. She looked to Canard, then back to the woman. "Who's that?" she asked, pointing. Canard looked. He looked back to Stella. "Don't you see her?" Stella looked again, and her eyes widened. She was gone.

# # #

**Hmm…wonder who that was? (Did I make it too obvious?) Shorter one again, (looks like the only ten page ones will be near the end. Eh, at least we'll go out with a bang. Just like dropping a nuclear bomb and suicide attempts. (Sorry to anyone who's been in a nuclear explosion or known someone who's committed suicide. Wait, how'd you survive a nuclear bomb?)**

**1) Where do you think Kira and Lacus conceived their child? (I should've asked this earlier, I thought about it when I was writing this chapter and couldn't figure it out, myself.)**

**2) How do you think Athrun and Cagalli will realize they're both on the Minerva?**

**3) How do you think Via will react to Athrun and Cagalli's engagement?**

**4) When the time comes, do you think Haine will defect with Athrun?**

**5) (I know! I must really value you guys' and girls' opinions! Five whole questions!) Did you think Sven was really pushed to his limits last battle? (When you consider the Strike Noir is supposed to have a battery roughly equivalent with its ZAFT counterpart, the Impulse, the fact that its phase shift went down really says something, don't it?)**

**Now review before I sick Sven on you! (Makes Azrael look civilized, when you think about it.) Speaking of which, we may get to see Djibril again pretty quick, (I'm just waiting to step on him with a gundam. Or shoot off his head with a beam rifle. So proud of his brain, yeah, let's see you without it, ya backwards ass frog!)**

**And of course, I'll take any requests for the next volume or name suggestions. Oh, and should we have a vote for the Destroy's pilot?**

**1) Sven?**

**2) Muldie? (It'd give me a chance to kill Sven. It'll be good death, trust me.)**

**3) Sting?**


	19. Ghosts of the Past

Phase 18: Ghosts of the Past

_Last chapter, question 2 was poorly phrased. Sorry, amigos. And Amigettes. Which would be female amigos. Hey, I didn't know I was Mexican! And I'm not! Man, I've got more identity problems than Neo! Not that we have any discrimination against women. Wait a minute...then why do all the insane people seem to be women? Muldie, Stella, Cagalli, wait, she's not insane...Neo, wait, he's not a woman...or is he? Yeah, I'm running out of material. Anyway, try to not kill me for! (There is no WAY you can enjoy this.)_

Phase 18: Ghosts of the Past

Sven smiled as a pair of suits were loaded aboard the _John Paul Jones_. Neo's face was unreadable, Sting standing obediently by his side. Muldie was not present.

"Nero Blitz and Rosso Aegis." Sven announced.

# # #

Cagalli sat up and looked around. She saw a female ZAFT Greencoat uniform next to her. She realized with a blush that she hadn't showered in a while. She sighed and picked up the uniform and headed for the shower.

# # #

Athrun opened his eyes, immediately aware of someone else in his bed.

"Meer, is that you?" She stirred, and Athrun sighed and got out of bed. He looked at Meer and clenched his hand into a fist. He pulled on his uniform coat and walked out of the room. He needed to get Savior from the Archangel, but the only way to communicate with them was his Savior's communication terminal. Unless….

Athrun looked to see Haine walking to meet him.

"Haine, can I borrow your Gouf for a minute?"

# # #

"The Archangel's been following us since Gibraltar." Arthur commented. Via narrowed her eyes, thinking.

"Open a channel." She said.

# # #

"On screen." Murrue ordered. Via's face was on the main screen.

'I'm Via Hibiki, Captain of the ZAFT Warship Minerva.'

"Captain Murrue Ramius, of the Archangel."

'I'm told you have a mobile suit that belongs to us, the Savior.'

Murrue frowned. "We do."

'May I ask you to allow Athrun Zala fly over to retrieve it.'

"You may…" The screen went dead. Murrue pressed a button on her chair's arm. "Murdoch! I need you to-"

# # #

Haine and Athrun climbed into the cockpit of Haine's Gouf Ignited. Athrun looked around the cockpit once.

"Nice ride." He commented. Haine grinned, then launched.

# # #

Cagalli dressed, then stopped when she saw her ring. She hadn't even remembered putting it back on. She sat down on the bed and turned it on her finger, thinking. Where could Athrun be? Off fighting somewhere? What if he was hurt? She heard a squeal and looked up to see the edge of a green dress disappear.

# # #

Nuemman spoke up. "Ma'am! Detecting mobile suit launch! Five suits!"

Murrue turned. "What? Advise the incoming mobile suit to hurry up, and alert the Minerva!"

# # #

"Guys! You'll never guess who's on the ship!" Meyrin shouted, as she ran to the breakfast table.

"Athrun Zala?" Shinn asked, gritting his teeth at the name.

"Uh…yeah, but no. Cagalli! Cagalli Yula Attha." Shinn suddenly stood up, enraged.

"What?!"

# # #

Haine gritted his teeth.

"Hold on to something!!" He drew his Gouf's beam sword and charged, slashing at the four suits. Athrun saw a red one blaze by and was taken aback.

'Was that? No, it can't be…' "Haine, get me to the Archangel! I'll launch and cover you!" Haine gritted his teeth and flew for the Archangel, which had opened one of its catapult doors.

# # #

Sven narrowed his eyes at the Archangel.

"Emillio! Fire you Scylla cannon on the ship!" The red suit folded in half and fired its beam cannon, hitting the catapult.

# # #

Canard narrowed his eyes. "Canard Pars, Dreadnought H, launching!" He was pushed back into his chair by inertia as his Dreadnought shot forward, Zasta Stigmata beam machine gun in hand. He was about to fire on the black suit, but then it disappeared. His eyes widened.

"What the?"

# # #

"Ma'am! We've lost one of the suits! It's not reading on sensors!" The black suit was suddenly in front of the bridge, its shield raised. Raider wrapped its chain around the suit's neck and threw it.

# # #

Athrun exited Haine's Gouf and ran for Savior's zip line.

# # #

"Lower the bridge!" Via ordered. The bridge lowered into combat position.

# # #

"Athrun Zala, Savior launching!!" Athrun called, before Savior shot forward, its power umbilical snapping off as he launched. He aimed at the red suit and froze.

"That's the Aegis! What in the hell is the Aegis doing here?!"

# # #

Emillio grinned and fired his Scylla cannon. The Savior dodged, then fired its twin cannons. Emillio blocked with his shield and charged, activating a wrist-mounted beam saber.

Savior dodged the slash and ducked under the Aegis, cutting off its legs. Emillio gritted his teeth and flipped, firing his beam cannon.

# # #

Muldie dodged Calamity's beam cannon and looked around.

"Where's Forbidden? Where's Shani?"

# # #

The John Paul Jones suddenly fired a signal flare. Sven gritted his teeth and boosted away, followed by Nero Blitz, Rosso Aegis, and Blu Duel.

# # #

**Well, this was a piece of crap!! Sorry, I just couldn't come up with anything. Glares at muse. Well, here's up with the questions. Why do I need them? This is the stupidest chapter I've ever written. But I wanted a whole chapter for Cagalli and Athrun, (and later Kira and Lacus, because no matter what, you simply do NOT make them angry at you.)**


	20. Trip to Berlin

_Well, Gaia's Dash is finally over, (longest volume so far, with a total of…what the heck? How many chapters did it have, anyway?_

_Gomen Nasai for last chapter! (Bows)_

**Gundam SEED Destiny: Destroy's Wrath**

Phase 19: The Trip to Berlin

Cagalli stepped onto the bridge, Via looked over her shoulder at Cagalli and smiled. Cagalli smiled back. Meyrin spoke up, grabbing Cagalli's attention.

"The Gouf Ignited and the Savior are returning, ma'am." Cagalli's eyes went wide.

"Savior?! Athrun's suit? Athrun is on board?" Via turned in her chair.

"Yes." Meyrin said, hesitantly. Cagalli turned and ran out of the bridge.

"Cagalli!" Via shouted. She ran after Cagalli. "Cagalli Orihime Hibiki, you come back right this instant!!"

# # #

Athrun stepped onto the deck of the _Minerva_'s mobile suit deck and was instantly face to face with Shinn. The red-eyed pilot glared up at Athrun and clenched a fist.

"What are you doing back onboard, you traitor!!" he shouted.

"Doing the job I was assigned to do. How about you?" Athrun asked calmly. "I didn't see the Impulse out there, and you're not dressed for combat. Well? What's your excuse?"

"'_Excuse?!_' You son of a-"

"Athrun!" Cagalli shouted. Athrun turned around, eyes wide, as Cagalli ran at him dressed in a ZAFT female uniform.

"Cagalli!" She jumped atop him, knocking him over.

"You are such an _idiot_!" She pounded his chest with her fist to emphasize her point. "I though I'd never see you again! How could you do that to me?" Athrun smiled to himself. Same old Cagalli!

"Sorry." He muttered. He noticed something, and blinked, looking at her ring finger. He straightened her engagement ring on her finger with his finger and his thumb. Cagalli noticed this and blushed.

Shinn looked like he was going to have a stroke. Mixed rage and shock (for lack of a stronger word,) flashed across his face. "_Attha_, too?! What did I do wrong in the past life?!"

Via stepped out of the lift to see Cagalli and Athrun wrapped in each other's arms on the deck. She walked over, face stern.

"Cagalli." She said. Cagalli gave a surprised shout and pushed herself to her feet. Athrun crawled to his feet, not getting any help from Shinn. Athrun looked at Via's face and froze with his eyes wide, occasionally blinking.

"Via? Via Hibiki?" he asked. Via gave him a glare.

"Yes." Athrun could only stare, then he realized how it must've looked from Via's perspective.

"My apologies, ma'am." He said, bowing, eyes closed.

"Not accepted." Via said, then grabbed Cagalli's arm and dragged her to the lift. Athrun just watched her go, eyes wide.

# # #

Neo stepped into the private conference room, and waited for the doors to close, looking over his shoulder. The doors locked and the locks gave a click, then he turned to the main screen.

Lord Djibril's face appeared on the large screen. Neo saluted.

"Sir." Neo said.

'Captain Roanoke. I'd like you to take the land battleship _Bonaparte_ to Moscow. I've examined the pilots at your disposal, and I'd like you to choose Muldie to pilot the unit that has been assembled there. Then make your way to Berlin. Eliminate any forces in your way.'

"It will be done, my Lord." Neo said, saluting. The screen went blank, and Neo sat down, and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose through his mask.

_Mu saluted to Murrue. "The same to you, ma'am."_

Neo shook his head, removing his hand from his head, forming claws as if to scare away whatever invisible tormentor brought on the nightmares.

'_I'm not out there, Neo. We both know you're not who you think you are…'_ said the ghost.

"Shut up!" Neo cried, slamming his fist down on the table.

# # #

The blade sung as it flew at Sven's throat. He ducked and stabbed his blade into the opponent's arm, then wrapped his other arm around it and snapped the bone in half, then kicked the enemy away. He spun in time to catch the next attack, then slammed his palm into the attacker's nose. He was sweating furiously, and narrowed his eyes as the physical instructors fell down, crying out in pain.

# # #

Murrue walked into Waltfeld's room to find him drinking coffee, looking at a picture on his beside desk. Murrue sat down on the bed, opposite Waltfeld.

"May I?" she asked, indicating the picture.

"You may." Waltfeld said. Murrue picked up the picture and looked at it.

"She's…beautiful. Not like me."

Waltfeld took a sip of his coffee and smiled. "Don't sell yourself short, captain. Looks aren't everything. You're beautiful, too. I'd bet a hundred that's what attracted Mu in the first place."

Murrue smiled. "I can see why she fell for you." She set the picture on the desk again. Waltfeld frowned.

"You've got it backwards. _I_ fell for _her_." Murrue opened her mouth to speak, then paused.

"I…he…he fell for me, too."

"Lucky guy." Waltfeld said.

Murrue smiled. "Don't sell yourself short, Andy."

"I'm entitled to! I've only got one leg!" Murrue started laughing, hugging her sides. Waltfeld smiled, proud of himself.

# # #

Arnold knocked on the newly-reoccupied quarters. Mirillia turned and smiled.

"Welcome back." Mirillia smiled and nodded and continued to unpack. "So, how did it work out with you and blondie?" Mir stopped.

"We broke up. He wanted to move to the Plants, I wanted to stay in Orb."

"Oh, well. There's still a chance, right? Anyway, we're heading for Berlin. The _Minerva_'s apparently following the _John Paul Jones_." Mirillia nodded and continued to unpack. Arnold turned to leave. "Oh, and Dearka's on channel 2."

"What?!" Mirillia turned to the COM terminal and brought up channel 2.

'Hey, Darling.' Dearka said, smirking.

"Do not call me, that, Dearka. What do you want?"

'What, you mean I can't talk to you, _Milly_?' Dearka asked, dragging out the last syllable of her nickname.

"If you're intelligent enough for speaking, yeah."

Dearka sighed and smiled. Then his smile vanished, and Mirillia narrowed her eyes slightly concerned. "What is it?" she asked, concerned.

'I…I've just missed you…Mirillia.'

Milly looked at the ground, frowning. "Me too."

'After the war, I'll come live in Orb with you, if you want….'

"That would be nice."

# # #

Kira and Lacus entered the research station. Kira instantly felt sick. And it was a very physical sick. He fought to stay conscious against the psychic feeling of death, eyes closed. It was like a black hole, drawing in Kira's soul. He reached out and grabbed Lacus's hand to steady himself.

"Kira?" Lacus asked, worried.

"I'm fine." He promised. "Just let me get used to it." Like he ever would. When he was ready he looked to Lacus and nodded, smiling. If she noticed it was forced, she didn't say anything, but she didn't smile back, instead looking concerned.

Together they walked to his father's computer and booted it up. One file immediately caught his attention. It looked like a regular folder, but the title, the title really caught his eye.

The title was: 'Bio-Sensor.'

# # #

Mayu sat by Rey as he typed into the computer. Rey noticed her silence, but chose not to say anything. She looked at him like she was going to ask him something, then looked away. Rey looked at her.

"What is it?" he asked.

Mayu blushed, smiling nervously. "Oh, nothing!" Rey smiled.

"You can ask me a question, you know." He said. Mayu was frozen for a full ten seconds.

"Uh…I wanted to ask, if you had someone special to you." Rey frowned and looked to the computer.

"I do. The Chairman helped raise me since my parents died, along with my older brother." He said.

Mayu looked up, happy. "You have an older brother? Huh, you and me have something in common, huh Rey? What does he do?"

Rey didn't say anything for the longest time, and Mayu frowned and looked down.

"Rey, I'm sorry if I-"

"He's…dead. My older brother is dead."

"I'm sorry."

Rey looked at Mayu. "Don't worry, you had nothing to do with it. He was killed in the last war."

Mayu looked down at her feet, clasping her hands. "I lost my parents…in the war, too."

"Shinn told me." Rey said. "But just because you lose someone doesn't mean you have to give up living. Life is the most precious thing anyone can give you, and you should try to live no matter how hard that life may be." Mayu just stared at Rey shocked. Then she smiled, and Rey couldn't help but smile back.

"Rey, I wanted to ask you something for the longest time, but I was always scared to. Would…would you be my…my…" the next word was almost a whisper, "_boyfriend_?" Rey just blinked, surprised.

"Uh…you like me? Rau…my older brother…told me that regular humans hate us…and you want me to be your…_boyfriend_?"

"Why would I hate you, Rey? If anything, I…uh…I love you."

Rey smiled. "Of course I'll be your boyfriend." Mayu just looked at Rey, eyes wide and grinning from ear to ear, then she slowly realized what Rey said and fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Mayu?" Rey picked her up bridal style and started down the hall to the infirmary, when he ran into Shinn, who looked, surprised, from the unconscious Mayu to Rey, then his face lit up with barely-controlled rage. "She just fainted, I was taking her to the infirmary!" Shinn didn't move. "I swear it! Shinn, we're friends, right?! _Right?!_"

# # #

**How much you wanna bet Han Solo never had to deal with in-law problems? LOL Well, then again, Mu's more Han Solo, Rey's kinda like his evil cousin's little brother. Odd that that makes sense in a twisted, dark side kinda way. (Okay, I'm now picturing Rau saying 'if you only knew the power of the Dark Side' during the Freedom vs. Providence duel.) Anyway, here's to questions:**

**1) How many people hated the last chapter with a passion?**

**2) What do you think the Bio-Sensor is for? (For those of you that have seen Zeta Gundam, this should be an easy one. For those who haven't, I'll give you a hint, LOOK IT UP! Here's a URL: **Gundam.**)**

**3) How was the Mayu x Rey scene? (A couple were asking me for more Mayu, so more Mayu I give!)**

**4) Am I turning Rey into too much of a laughing stock? (I'm kinda concerned, since he needs to be a badass later, and he didn't have any of the earlier fights with Neo.)**


	21. Launch Destroy

Here's the correct URL: gundam.

Phase 20: Launch the Destroy

Muldie looked up at the massive black mobile suit, eyes wide. Sven gave it one look and had started laughing, hands on his head. Neo walked to Muldie's side.

"Say hello to your new suit, Muldie. The GFAS-X1 Destroy." He looked at Muldie, who just looked back at him. "Suit up."

# # #

Muldie sat down in the massive cockpit of the Destroy.

'Sven Cal Bayang, Strike Noir, Launching.' Strike Noir shot away.

'Emillio, Rosso Aegis, Launching!' Rosso Aegis launched, and transformed to Mobile armor mode.

'Dana Snip, Nero Blitz, launching!'

'Sting Oakley, Chaos, launching!'

'Neo Roanoke, launching in Windam.'

Muldie set her jaw. It was time to destroy stuff.

"Muldie Holcroft, Destroy, Launching." The Bonaparte began to shake as the Destroy moved to its feet, the entire cargo section roof removed to allow the Destroy to launch. The Destroy took a step forward, and the earth shook, knocking over Windams waiting on standby. She transformed into Mobile Fortress mode, and the Destroy kneeled, its legs spinning to walk on its ankles, its huge backpack folding over its head.

# # #

Cagalli pulled her hand free of Via's. Via turned, angry.

"I'm not a kid anymore! I'm engaged!" Via's eyes went wide.

"I'm not going to let you marry some ZAFT flunkie. Especially not after I just met you again. I don't want to have to hand you over when I just got you back…"

"You want to be my mother? Then why did you let me go?!" Via recoiled as if struck.

"They would've killed me…just because I was Kira and Canard's mother. I…I had to hide!"

"You could've written us! You could've had father and Kira's parents tell us you were safe!!"

"You weren't mine anymore."

"Then what makes us yours now?!" Cagalli screamed, eyes tearing up. She ran out of the room, and if she could've most likely would've slammed the door shut.

# # #

Athrun was laying down in his bunk, hands under his head. Haine walked in and sat down in the chair near his desk. He turned to face Athrun, smiling.

"So."

Athrun smiled back. "So."

Haine chuckled. "How was your day?"

Athrun laughed. "Swell."

"Luna told me about your little spat with the loveable pilot of the Impulse."

"Name kinda fits him, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. He's sort of…impulsive, that way." Athrun shook his head in amusement.

"So, how long did you last?"

"Against his whining? My patience only goes so far."

"So how far?"

"About three seconds." Athrun looked up, surprised. Haine nodded. There was a knock on the door. Athrun got up and opened the door.

"Cagalli?!" he asked, surprised. Cagalli looked around Athrun to see Haine.

"Uh…can I come in?" Athrun stood aside for Cagalli to enter, then shut the door. Cagalli saw down the on the bed.

"Cagalli, what are you doing here?" Athrun asked.

"Like I had a choice! We were under attack! What are you doing here?!" Cagalli asked, angry.

"I was assigned here, thank you!" Haine just looked from Athrun to Cagalli and back again as they spoke.

"Oh, well why don't you just resign?!" Back to Athrun. Athrun looked from Haine, to Cagalli, to Haine, then back to Cagalli. Athrun opened his mouth to speak, then shut it, then opened it again, then started for the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" Haine and Cagalli chorused. Athrun turned.

"To take a shower!" he shouted, then slammed the door shut. Haine and Cagalli looked at each other. Haine smiled.

"So." Cagalli rolled her eyes.

"You pilots are all the same."

"Ah, but I have a lot more style than he does." Haine said, indicating the bathroom door. Cagalli sighed and stood up, heading for the bathroom.

"Where are you going?!" Haine asked, surprised. Cagalli turned, door half open.

"To take a shower!" she shouted, then closed the door behind her. Haine tilted his head to the right. He turned to the computer.

"If that door starts moving, I'm outta here." Via walked in, saw Haine, then looked around.

"Where's Cagalli?" Haine paused.

"Shower." He said, indicating the bathroom door. Via looked around again.

"Where's Athrun?"

"You so do not wanna know."

"Exercise room?"

"Shower." Via looked from Haine to the bathroom door, then back to Haine, pointing at the door. Haine nodded.

"I think I'll come back later." Via said, then walked out.

"Wise decision."

# # #

'Captain Ramius, report the bridge at once.' Murrue sat up and hit the 'talk' button on her communication terminal.

"What is it?" she asked.

'We don't know.' Nuemman said. 'But it's big. It's attacking the outskirts of Berlin as we speak.

"Change course to intercept. All pilots to the briefing room. I'll be on the bride immediately." Murrue stood and walked out of her quarters.

# # #

Shinn dropped into the cockpit of the core splendor.

'Opening Silhouette Hangar 1, Force Module selected. Set linear catapult to launch position.' The catapult doors slowly slid open, and Shinn pushed the throttle foreward.

"Shinn Asuka. Core Splendor…launching!"

# # #

**And thus we lead up to the Battle of Berlin. **


	22. The Battle of Berlin

_Wow. My goal was to get over a hundred reviews, now I think I'll be able to get two hundred. Thank you._

Phase 21: The Battle of Berlin

"Don't let up!" A CGUE and GuAIZ R were firing their beam rifles at the monstrous mobile suit. They weren't alone. A whole army of mobile suits was firing from the outskirts of Berlin, into the center. Suddenly, green beams shot from the center, carving into the streets, cutting through the mobile suits like a hot knife through butter. The beam fire suddenly stopped, and every street of Berlin lit up from the collective explosion of over a hundred mobile suits.

Shinn and Haine narrowly dodged a beam, and raised above the city streets.

# # #

Shinn leaned his head foreward to see clearer. "What the hell is that?"

# # #

Canard was just as stumped as Shinn, flying from a different direction in his Dreadnought. Calamity rode Raider alongside, the semi-repaired Forbidden alongside. It had been rigged to mount Striker Packs, and was now mounting a captured Jet Striker, but did not have any missiles, only its beam scythe and the Agni-cannon rigged to its waist.

Suddenly, four blue and red beams lashed out, barely missing Canard and Forbidden.

"Everyone scatter!" Raider and Calamity broke left, Calamity firing its twin 'Schlag' beam cannons. A shining shield blocked the twin green lances. Canard's eyes shot wide.

"A lightwave shield? Dammit!" The mobile fortress fired its main cannons again, destroying a building, knocking the four suits to the ground. Forbidden and Dreadnought raised to their feet first and charged, drawing their close combat weapons. Both suits slashed at the heavy armor, cutting a pair of gouges into it. Both suits backed up, and Strike Noir was suddenly between them. Canard ducked the Strike Noir's slash, Forbidden going over it.

# # #

Athrun stepped onto the bridge, dressed in his pilot's suit, followed closely by Cagalli. Athrun looked to Via.

"We need to use the main cannon on it. Whatever it is, the Impulse's weaponry won't destroy it."

"You're right." Via said. "Arthur, prepare the Tanhauser! Athrun, get to the Savior. Launch and see if you can damage it."

Cagalli turned to Athrun. "You have to take me to the Archangel! We'll need every suit we have out there!" Athrun gritted his teeth and looked to Via. Via nodded.

"Alright! Come on!"

# # #

"Orga, Clotho!" Canard called. "Get behind and fire your cannons! It's shield can't possibly extend over the whole mobile suit!"

'You got it.' Calamity and Raider disappeared, going around. Canard boosted over Strike Noir's next attack.

# # #

Sven laughed. "Well? How do you like my gift to the world? Huh? You damn coordinators! With this thing under my command, I'll destroy everyone of you! Well?! Are you afraid yet?! You'd better be!!" he laughed again. "Come on!! **Give us a scream!! Ha-ha**!"

# # #

Neo and Sting looked down from a cliff. Neo looked around the battlefield. Where was Freedom?

# # #

Haine and Shinn both slashed at the Destroy's armor, but not even making a scratch.

"What is this thing built out of?" Shinn asked? "Minerva! Launch the Sword Silhouette!"

# # #

Athrun weaved through beam fire from Rosso Aegis. He spun and fired his twin cannons. Rosso Aegis dodged and spun, transforming to mobile armor mode. Athrun dodged a slash and fired his beam rifles, scoring a hit along its leg.

'Athrun!' Canard called. 'We need Freedom out here, now! Let Stella pilot Savior! If she could pilot Gaia, she can pilot Savior just as well!' Athrun nodded.

"I've got Cagalli with me, she'll launch in the Strike Rouge."

# # #

Canard landed in front of the Destroy, which suddenly stopped. Canard's eyes widened, then narrowed again.

"What is it doing now?!"

_For best performance, start playing "Animal I Have Become" by Three Days Grace. It'll help. You can also add "Down With the Sickness" by Disturbed, if you want. In fact, pretty much anything not J-pop will work._

The Destroy's arms suddenly dropped from its backpack, and the backpack folded over, revealing its true nature. The mobile suit stood up, it's legs returning to normal configuration. Canard could only stare.

'This monster, the one we couldn't even scratch, it's a mobile suit.' Canard looked up to see Strike Noir slash at him, and he dodged. The Strike Noir turned to the Destroy, who's triple cannons had begun to glow.

# # #

Sven just blinked. She was going to fire on HIM? But he wasn't a Coordinator. "Muldie?" The Cannons continued to glow. "Muldie, what are you doing?"

# # #

Muldie smiled inside the cockpit. "This is for ordering Shams to attack my Shani." She fired.

# # #

"Muldie?!" Sven screamed as the Destroy's cannons fired, the central beam annihilating the Strike Noir's torso, and Sven along with it.

# # #

Canard just watched as the Strike Noir's legs de phase shifted and fell over, limp. He blinked and looked back at the Destroy. It raised its hand at the Dreadnought, and Canard saw that each finger was tipped with a beam cannon. He dodged the six beams, and fired his own beam cannons.

# # #

Djibril smiled at the screens projecting the Destroy's rampage in Berlin.

"So, Gentlemen, what do you think?"

"Djibril, why are you attack Eurasia?" Djibril smiled to himself and turned in his chair.

"Because Eurasia sided with the coordinators. We had multiple reports of civilians uprising against use while ZAFT attacked. This is simply punishment."

"Djibril, why not use this weapon to attack the PLANTs?!"

"We will, gentlemen, we will. There are more units than just this one." The nobles looked at each other nervously.

"Djibril, what if the Destroy is _destroyed_?"

Djibril waved off the question. "That is quite impossible, I assure."

# # #

"Athrun Zala, Freedom, Launching!" Athrun boosted out of the catapult and started for the Destroy.

# # #

Neo looked to Freedom flying into the battlefield. He smiled to himself.

"There you are." He took off, flying at Freedom. He fired his beam rifle.

# # #

Athrun dodged the attacks. He drew a beam saber and cut off the Windam's legs, then its arms. The Windam fell backwards.

# # #

Neo uttered a curse and pulled the eject lever. The cockpit door blasted open, and he jumped out, opening his parachute. He was too late and hit the ground rolling. His head struck a piece of debris sticking out of the ground and he flipped and landed on his back, the world going black. As he stopped, his helmet slipped off and rolled away.

# # #

Canard dodged a volley of missiles and fired his beam cannons as they came around, detonating them. He turned to the Destroy and switched to sword mode, the beam cannons becoming beam sabers.

# # #

Orga fired his cannons at the Destroy, only to have the beams blocked.

"Argh! It's even got a lightwave shield in the back!! Dammit!!"

# # #

Athrun turned to the Destroy and engaged Full Burst mode, firing. The attack was useless. He drew a beam saber and moved in, slashing at the Destroy's hand. The beam saber gouged into its hand, and Athrun pulled the saber free and flew away, the hand detonating, destroying two fingers.

# # #

"Did you forget about me?" Sting cried, firing his Callidus beam cannon.

Freedom dodged and fired, nearly striking Chaos's head. Sting dodged and activated his beam claws, charging. Chaos was suddenly cut in half.

# # #

Athrun blinked, surprised.

'You get the big guy, Athrun! I'll cover ya!' Waltfeld shouted.

# # #

Shinn drew the twin anti-ship swords and connected them then boosted at the Destroy. The giant mobile suit swatted the Impulse away, knocking it to the ground. It looked straight at the Impulse and fired its face-mounted cannon. Shinn flipped the Impulse, then ground to a halt, the beam striking the ground.

'Everyone! Target the buildings around it! Bury it!!' Athrun cried. Calamity, Raider, Forbidden, Dreadnought, and Freedom fired on the nearby buildings. The skyscrapers fell atop the Destroy, dust and rubble flying all over the place, forming a cloud.

When the dust cleared, The Destroy was buried under the rubble. Suddenly, the rubble started moving. Shinn's eyes went wide.

"What the hell? How can it still move?" A trio of beam cannon blasts erupted from the pile of rubble, before the mountain of concrete and steel exploded, lighting up the battlefield.

# # #

Athrun couldn't look away. "What the hell is this thing built out of?" The Destroy raised it arms, launching both of them. Athrun dodged an array of beams from the flying arms.

Nero Blitz rushed at Athrun, a beam saber ignited from its Trikeros shield. Athrun slashed through the suit's legs, then blasted off its arms with Freedom's beam cannons, then spun and boosted at the Destroy. Rosso Aegis put itself between Freedom and the Destroy. Forbidden attacked the Rosso Aegis, cutting it in half, then boosting out of the way of a beam cannon blast. Athrun dodged the blast, then blocked a beam from one of the Dragoon pod arms, then slashed it in half.

# # #

Canard activated his beam sabers and sliced through the Destroy's leg.

# # #

"No! Get away from me!!" Muldie cried, panicking, firing her triple beam cannons at the Minerva.

# # #

"Evade!" Via cried. The Minerva moved left just enough to dodge the blasts, the nearest one grazing its 'Tristian' beam cannons. "Fire!"

# # #

The blue and red Tanhauser blast struck the lightwave shield and literally stopped. The beam began to fade, then exploded, creating a shockwave, knocking the Impulse, Freedom, Dreadnought, Strike Rouge, Forbidden, Calamity, Raider, and the Gouf Ignited to the ground.

Blue arcs of electricity began to leap across the Destroy's Phase Shift Armored plate, and inside Muldie's cockpit.

# # #

Shinn gritted his teeth and boosted foreward, anti-ship sword drawn back.

# # #

Muldie screamed. Her beam cannons wouldn't fire!

"Fire!! Fire, dammit!! FIRE!!" she screamed again. "SHANI!!"

# # #

The Impulse drove the point of its combined anti-ship sword into the Destroy's main cannon, just as the beam cannons began to fire.

# # #

The cockpit began to explode, showering Muldie in shrapnel. The Destroy fell backwards, shaking the ground with a sound like a nuclear bomb. The Destroy's face-mounted beam cannon fired as it fell, a single blue and red beam against the black sky. Then the beam ended.

# # #

Shinn landed atop the Destroy, smiling in amazement. He did it! Shinn began to laugh. He'd done it! He defeated the Destroy!

"I did it! Ha-ha! I did it!"

# # #

Djibril slammed his fist down on the arm of his chair.

"Damn those Coordinators!!"

# # #

Hours later, Murrue, Cagalli, and Athrun walked among the wreckage. Athrun looked from the ruins to Cagalli.

"If we don't act now, the whole world will go crazy." Athrun said.

Cagalli turned to Athrun. "I need to go back to Orb. It won't be long before the Orb Military's fully mobilized." Athrun nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But I can't come with you. The Minerva's returning to Gibraltar. Durandal will be there. I need to talk to him."

Cagalli turned to Athrun. "Why? You can't make him end the war!"

"Durandal's not like my father, but he's going down the same path. I have to stop him from going down it, or at the very least we'll have another Genesis on our hands. Another Jachin Due. Or worse."

# # #

Murrue stopped at the blonde EA pilot, his hair covering his face. She took a step forward and stopped when her foot hit something. She looked and saw the black and red helmet. She picked it up and examined it, then started for the pilot. She moved his hair out the way and froze.

"M-Mu?"

# # #

Lacus turned off the TV and looked at Kira. Yzak, Dearka, and Shiho had left a long time ago, they'd had to report the Supreme Council.

"Kira?" Kira didn't turn.

"It's time, Lacus."

"But Kira…" Kira turned to Lacus and smiled.

"Don't worry. We'll be fine." Lacus frowned and looked down, interlocking her fingers.

# # #

Durandal looked down on the chessboard.

"You see, Rau? We humans are violent and destructive, like little children. All it takes is control."

'Ha! You think humans can be controlled, Gilbert? Nobody can control humanity, not even the White Queen, Lacus Clyne.' Rau said from across the table. Durandal looked up at Rau, frowning. 'Humans inevitably destroy each other through hatred. The only way to stop them is to destroy their weapons. That's why I lost to Kira. He destroyed our weapons, and THAT's what ended the war.'

"Shinn is far stronger than Kira."

'I wouldn't be so sure…Durandal.'

# # #

**Well, we see Rau and Durandal a bit more. (Next chapter I might even blow him up! Yeah…no, that isn't gonna happen, but I CAN DREAM!!)**

**Anyway, We kill off the rest of the Stargazer pilots in this chapter, (Sven's death was not quite as good as I imagined, but still okay. (Yes, they are all dead, Muldie was killed by shrapnel, and Dana, Nero Blitz's pilot died of starvation because she couldn't open her cockpit.) Rey's feeling useless, I wanted to sorta show he was Durandal's old apprentice, and he's being slowly replaced by Shinn. Kinda mirrors the Count Dooku-Anakin relationship, but Rey and Shinn don't try to kill each other. Then again…LOL**

**1) Was the Destroy more or less powerful than in the series?**

**2) How do you think Kira and Lacus are gonna get Gaia aboard the Eternal?**


	23. Gaia of the Skies

Phase 22: Gaia of the Skies

Durandal walked down military complex. Yzak Joule saluted as he approached.

"Commander Joule." Durandal greeted with a smile.

"Chairman." Yzak replied.

"Well, what is your report of the Berlin Battle?"

"Sir, we recaptured Chaos, it's currently undergoing repairs, and Gaia is in hangar 3."

"Excellent. Along with the newly completed Destiny and Legend, and the Impulse, we should have quite a team." Durandal smiled to himself. As he approached hangar three, a pink lance of light stabbed through the door, then withdrew, and the door exploded. Durandal was knocked backwards by the explosion.

Gaia stepped out of the hangar. A pair of BABIs started for the mobile suit, and Gaia's phase shift went black, opening its wings. The boosters on the wings ignited, and Gaia shot upward, beam rifle in hand, and shot off both units' heads.

# # #

Lacus walked down the halls of the _Eternal_, towards the bridge. She stepped onto the bridge and sat down.

"Lieutenant Da Costa, please go ahead and launch. Kira will be here any minute now."

# # #

Yzak gritted his teeth as he powered up his new Gouf Ignited.

"He could've been a little more subtle about this!!" he opened his Gouf's wings and drew his 'Tempest' beam sword. He charged at Gaia, slashing. Gaia blocked the first attack with its shield and jumped over the Gouf. Yzak spun, slashing out. His slash was stopped by Gaia's beam saber, and Gaia knocked the blade away and slashed off the Gouf's arm. Yzak cursed and dropped his shield, then whipped out with his heat rod, trapping Gaia's arm. Gaia twisted its wrist, severing the heat rod with its beam saber.

# # #

Durandal gritted his teeth as Gaia boosted towards the space port.

# # #

Kira ground Gaia to a half, spinning it one eighty, and firing his beam rifle twice, incapacitating a Zaku and GaZuoot. He hit the throttle and shot up and out the PLANT. He turned left and was immediately flying above the _Eternal_.

# # #

Yzak grinned and shook his head, landing his GOUF. He was missing one arm, the most he could to Kira was shoot at him and hope he hit.

# # #

Durandal pulled himself to his feet. He looked to his left to see a man in a ZAFT redcoat that looked exactly like Yzak, except with black hair.

"You may not like it, Chairman, but whoever that guy is, he's got style." Alex Strassmeier said, smiling to himself.

# # #

Murdoch turned from Neo to Murrue.

"I'd say it's not possible, but he's almost a 99 percent match for the Commander." Neo's eyes opened.

"Commander? I may be your prisoner, but that doesn't give you the right to demote me." Murdoch and Murrue both turned to look at Neo.

"Hello, Mu." Murrue said. Neo's eyes widened, and he looked away.

"_I promise I'll come right back. With victory in hand." Mu leaned in and kissed Murrue._

"Wrong guy, princess. I'm Neo Roanoke." Neo said. He had to hold on to that. Murrue opened her mouth to speak, then shut it.

"I'm sure you would like some rest." Murrue finally said.

Neo smiled. "Actually, I could use some coffee." He looked around. "But where's my mask?"

"It…was lost." Murrue said. Neo blinked.

"Huh. Oh, well." He got up and followed Murrue out.

"You'd think it would be possible you really were Mu."

"I _am_ the man who makes the impossible possible." Neo joked, then he froze when he realized what he said.

"_Ha-ha! Didn't I tell you I could make the impossible, possible!!"_

Neo shook his head to clear the images.

# # #

Luna, Mayu, and Rey were sitting in the pilots' lounge, Rey drinking coffee.

"Shinn's getting scary he's so good." Luna said.

"Yes." Rey said. He squeezed his eyes shut. 'Why do I feel so useless?!' Mayu looked to Rey, concerned. Luna looked between the two, confused.

"Hey! Are you two going out?" she asked, smiling coyly. Rey and Mayu looked up, surprised. Luna sighed and crossed her legs, resting her arms on the couch. "It's not like you can hide it. Although Shinn may get a little angry."

"It's physically impossible for Shinn to get a 'little' angry." Rey said, chuckling.

"Oh? How about you, Mr. Freeze?" Rey sighed and shook his head. Rey felt something and turned.

"Shinn!" Luna said, standing up. "Nice job out there!" Shinn smiled coolly.

"Thanks, Luna." The way Shinn said 'Luna' made her heart stop. Luna smiled and blushed. Shinn continued to smile coolly and walked to his quarters. Luna sat down and squealed to herself, drawing Rey and Mayu's blinking stare.

"Luna? Are you feeling alright?" Rey asked. Luna was wringing her hands. Mayu realized it first and whispered into Rey's ear. Rey's eyes shot wide and he shot from his seat, crossing his fingers at Luna.

"How can you have a crush on Shinn?!"

"Oh, please! Didn't you notice Meyrin has a crush on Athrun?" Luna replied angrily. Rey blinked, and looked to see Meyrin standing there with her lip quivering. She ran from the room with tears in her eyes. Luna saw her leave and sat back down, looking guilty. Rey lowered his arms, thinking. Luna suddenly stood up, punching a fist into the air, scaring Rey's heart into his throat.

"I'm a horrible sister!! Dammit, how come I never know when to shut my big fat mouth?!" She shouted. Mayu meanwhile was trying to calm Rey. ('I thought she was gonna kill me!!'-Rey 'There, there…' –Mayu.)

"Hey! Aren't you listening to me?" Luna asked. _(Sweat drop.)_

# # #

Waltfeld poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Murrue. She took a sip and sighed. Waltfeld poured another and handed this one to Neo. Neo took one sip and spit it out.

"What is this?!" Neo asked, angry.

"Canadian Bacon and French Roast." Waltfeld answered, eyes narrowed. "And while two of my limbs are prosthetic, that doesn't mean I can't dish out some pain." Neo heard a click like a shotgun being pumped.

He smiled falsely. "It's delicious!"

# # #

Cagalli sighed and got up. She was still a little sore, and headed for the bathroom to do her business. She stopped when she noticed a blue box sitting on the sink. She mentally counted. And gave a scream.

# # #

Athrun jolted awake and saw Cagalli staring at him, eyes showing entirely too much white. Athrun sighed and moved so he could sit down on the bed.

"What's wrong, Cagalli?"

"When was my last period, Athrun?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Athrun thought briefly. "About thirty…6 days a…go…." It was Athrun's turn to scream. "You mean, you're…you're…you're…?"

Cagalli nodded, scared.

"Kira's gonna kill me."

"_I'm_ gonna kill ya!!" Canard shouted from the doorway. Athrun gave a shout and dodged a thrown butter knife. Canard leapt at Athrun, spoon and fork in hand. She looked down at her belly. She put her hands over where a bulge would be in a few months.

"Please, please don't inherit _their_ genes!!" she begged. "I don't need a little Kira or Canard crying all the time or trying to kill your father!"

"Hey!" Canard shouted. "What's wrong with a little Kira or Canard?!"

"You want me to answer that?" Athrun asked. He kneed Canard, and Canard heard bells ringing. He fell over, falling into the fetal position.

"That was below the belt, cheap shot!!"

"You were trying to kill me with a fork!!" Athrun protested.

# # #

**Well, Cagalli's pregnant. Happy, Infinite Freedom? I just imagined Cagalli taking pills, but Athrun didn't wear plastic, and Infinite Freedom told me, oh so usefully, that pregnancy is still possible even with a Condom and pills, (he's living proof of that, apparently,) and all of this makes me really uncomfortable so I'm gonna stop now.**

**1) What do you think Athrun and Cagalli would name their kid? (Or kids?) **

**2) What do you think Lacus and Kira would name their kid? (Or kids? Hey, I'm curious.)**

**3) If Raider, Forbidden, and Calamity are upgraded, (named Ebon Raider, Aqua Calamity, and Teal Forbidden, respectively,) what do you think their upgrades would be? (Don't go overboard. And yes, a Dragoon system would be considered overboard. I have an idea, but I'd like some other opinions. And go outside the box.)**


	24. Destiny

Phase 22: Destiny

Durandal led Shinn and Rey to a hangar. He stopped and flipped a pair of switches, and lights flicked on, revealing two mobile suits. Shinn recognized the one on the left as his own design and looked at the smiling Durandal.

"Rey sent me your designs, and I had it built with the latest technology." Shinn's eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas morning. Rey just stared at the one on the left.

"And Rey, this is Legend. We took Providence's design and upgraded it with technology from Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss." Rey just blinked, looking at Durandal.

"I've had Ms. Hawke assigned to the Impulse, and Mayu to Chaos. And both of you are officially assigned to FAITH, having been awarded the Order of the Nebula. Your first mission is to destroy the Archangel, and any mobile suits that get in your way. The Archangel has become a threat to ZAFT's future fight for peace." Rey and Shinn both saluted, Shinn still smiling.

# # #

Canard sat across from Murrue and Waltfeld in the cafeteria.

"The only suits we have working are Savior and Freedom, and Savior's damaged. We're repairing Calamity, Forbidden, and Raider, but Forbidden's still got no parts, and Calamity's frame is cracked. Waltfeld's Murasame is almost repaired, and the Strike Rouge is operable, but neither is really ready for combat. If we're attacked, we are well and truly screwed. I can pilot Freedom, but I'm not like Kira. I don't know if I can protect the ship all by myself." Canard announced. "The good news is, we've got a surplus of pilots. Orga and Clotho are ready to go, Stella's finally fully coordinated, and Cagalli's not far enough along to be a hindrance. The only problem is Shani and Athrun. Athrun's gone…and Shani's keeping to himself. He won't even eat."

"And Neo." Murrue added. Waltfeld looked at Murrue, eye narrowed, then back to Canard.

"What about your Dreadnought?"

"Likewise, out of commission."

"It might be better to submerge, but we wouldn't make any time at all underwater." Murrue noted.

"And we couldn't receive Athrun if he's in trouble." Canard said.

"Still, it might be better to submerge and take a longer trip." Waltfeld noted. Canard sighed.

"I miss the old days." Murrue suddenly decided. "The last time we were running from anything, it was four of our own mobile suits, and Kira could beat all of them."

"Yeah. Now we're running from the whole ZAFT armada." Waltfeld noted. "So, how do you feel about that?"

"Fairly crappy."

# # #

Shani was tired, hungry, and very, very bored. But he wouldn't allow himself to go out and endanger them. He wasn't going to interact with anyone, ever again.

"Shani! Why don't you come out?!" Orga shouted through the door.

"I'm not safe anymore! Go away!"

"At least let the doc try to look at it, whatever it is!!"

# # #

Canard was passing the infirmary when Murdoch spotted him.

"Hey, kid!" Canard stopped and looked at Murdoch, annoyed.

"The last time anybody called me a kid, I drove a piece of a teacup into their eye." Canard said, annoyed. "And I was twelve at the time." Murdoch stopped, eyes wide.

"You're…you're jokin' right?" Canard just smiled. If looks could kill, Canard's smile would've put the entire world into a coma. Murdoch coughed to try and get a grip of himself, and approached Canard carefully. "You asked me to investigate that earphones punk's berserk problem, right? Well, I came up with the answer. His rage centers are malformed, coupled with a steroids addiction. So I came up with a solution." He held up a arm-guard-like object with a button and a tube filled with liquid. "It's a sedative feed. If you ever feel angry, just pop the button and boom, within seconds, you're either calm, or unconscious."

Canard blinked, surprised. "Huh. You think you could build this into a pilot helmet for when he's piloting Forbidden?"

"Give me a few hours, yeah." Canard smiled. He took the sedative feeder and started for Shani's quarters.

# # #

"Shani!" Canard cried through the door. "I have something that might help you control your anger!!"

"Go away!" The door opened, and Shani looked at Canard entering. Shani's vision went red, and he charged, roaring. Canard caught the fist and slapped the bracer on Shani's arm, and slammed the button. There was a hiss, and Shani gave an abrupt shout, then slowly began to calm.

"W-what?" Shani looked down at his feeder-covered arm, then back to Canard. Canard smiled.

"If you're ever too angry to think, just hit the button. You'll calm down. If we're gonna make it to ORB, you'll need a clear head." Shani smiled. He even began to laugh. Orga and Clotho looked at each other, wide eyed, then back to Shani.

# # #

"Hi, Stella." Stella turned to see Cagalli. Cagalli walked in and sat down on Stella's bunk. "I thought we could have a nice sisterly bonding session." Stella looked confused. "Is there anything you really like?"

Stella's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Oh! I like the ocean! And fish! And dancing! And…uh…that's about it…"

'Real deep, ain't she?' Cagalli thought sarcastically. "Have you ever been to ORB? It's a big island. So you can go swimming whenever you want."

Stella looked hesitant. "Uh…I can't swim?" Cagalli was taken aback?

"What? You love the ocean, but you've never gone swimming? Not once?"

Stella looked down, embarrassed. "Auel was going to teach me to swim, but Shinn killed him before he could." Her shoulders started shaking. "I _hate_ Shinn for that." Stella's voice had deepened. Cagalli frowned.

"Do you want to kill him?" she asked. Stella looked up, horrified.

"No! No! I…I really like Shinn! But…I really liked Auel, too. Stella's all confused." Cagalli stood up and hugged Stella.

"Don't worry, Stella. I'm here for you." Stella smiled and hugged Cagalli back. "And pretty soon, you'll have a little niece here for you, too!" Cagalli added under her breath, "I hope to hell it's a niece."

# # #

Canard pulled on Kira's old helmet and almost gagged.

"Smells like something died in here." Murdoch and Shani exchanged glances, then looked back at Canard. Canard sighed.

# # #

Athrun walked into the chairman's office and saluted. Durandal turned and smiled.

"Ah! Athrun! Good! You're in time. Shinn and the Minerva are on their way to destroy the Archangel." Athrun's eyes shot wide.

"What?!"

# # #

The red alert suddenly went active. Canard looked up, eyes wide.

'Incoming mobile suit!' Mirillia shouted over the intercom system. 'Specification unknown. Incoming ship! It's the _Minerva_!!' Canard lowered the cockpit and strapped himself in.

# # #

Athrun recognized the suit from his nightmare as it was shown on Durandal's screen. It was the red-winged suit from his nightmare!

"The latest mobile suit." Durandal announced. "Destiny." Athrun looked to the chairman.

"A new mobile suit?!"

# # #

**Next: the Shattered Sword**

**Dun, dun, duh!! How's that for Ominous! Oh, and anyone that answered question 1 and 2 last chapter had no imagination whatsoever. And I have to ask…Mini-Athrun? Mini-Kira? Kira, backwards? I'm not saying you guys are stupid, because you're not, I think you just kinda had a brain blink on that little thing. (And not much more imagination for the Druggie gundams.)**

**But here's the official stuff. All units have N-Jammer Cancellers and Nuclear reactors, and beam shields.**

**GAT-X131/HA (Heavy Arms) Aqua Calamity**

**Weapons: 'Schlag' beam cannons x 2, mounted on backpack/shoulders, 'Scylla' plasma beam cannon, mounted on chest, 'Amfortas' plasma beam cannons x 2, mounted on backpack, swing under arms in use, 'Sleipnir' railguns, x 4, mounted on shoulder shields.**

**GAT-X252/CC (Close Combat) Teal Forbidden**

**Weapons: 'Hades' Beam Scythe x 2, can combine to form beam double scythe, (one scythe blade on each end, facing opposite directions,) 'Callidus' multi-phase plasma beam cannon, mounted on torso, 'Gungir' Extensional arrestor with beam edge, x 2, 'Sleipnir' railgun x 2, mounted on backpack. (Beam shields mounted on backpack, can form 360-degree lightwave shield.)**

**GAT-X370/E (Enhanced) Ebon Raider**

**Weapons: 'MJOLNIR' beam impact Hammer, (uses beam shields to crush PSA), 'HARKONNEN' beam buzzsaw, can be launched and retrieved just like MJOLNIR Hammer, 'Zorn' Plasma beam cannon, mounted on head, 'Lightning' double-barrel beam assault cannons, x 2, mounted on shoulder.**

**1) So, what you think?**


	25. The Shattered Sword

**Gundam SEED Destiny: Destiny's Blade**

_Music Choices: after the Durandal/Palpatine-Athrun/Anakin scene, when Shinn's fighting, you can play pretty much any anime opening, but I recommend Death Note's first opening, 'the WORLD' by Nightmare. And thanks goes to Infinite Freedom for the title. And also, thanks for Cagalli's child and Athrun's psycho scene goes to him. As well as my new fear of sex without protection. (I don't need kids...my little brother drives me bonkers enough!!) ;_

Phase 24: The Shattered Sword

"Canard Pars, Freedom. Launching!" Freedom shot forward, and released from the catapult tracks.

# # #

Shinn saw the Freedom launch from the Archangel and grinned, narrowing his eyes.

"Now we so who is superior, Kira." He drew Destiny's 'Arodight' anti-ship sword and boosted forward, slashing out.

# # #

Canard dodged and fired Freedom's beam rifle. The suit dodged, and aimed a beam cannon at Freedom. Canard raised his shield to block. A set of fingers curled around the top edge of the shield and ripped it out of Freedom's hand. The suit fired. The beam blast splashed across Freedom's armor.

"He missed!" Freedom had a gash in its side, now, arcing electricity.

# # #

Shinn gave a laugh and switched frequencies to match the Freedom.

"How do you like Destiny, Kira?!" He drew one of Destiny's beam boomerangs and threw it, then boosted ahead, slashing. Freedom dodged the beam boomerang, but the sword attack caught Freedom's thigh and severed the limb clean, along with slicing the left Xiphias railgun in half. Freedom fired its remaining railgun point blank into Destiny's face, knocking the suit backwards. Shinn gave a laugh and flipped Destiny right side up, firing his beam rifle. The green lance of energy pierce Freedom's rifle, and Freedom let the rifle drop before it exploded.

The suit drew both its beam sabers and charged, drawing the blades back. Freedom slashed, and Shinn blocked one with the Arodight, one with the beam boomerang, now turned beam saber. Shinn pushed Freedom backwards and put away the beam saber and grabbed Freedom's head.

"No more games." Shinn said. Freedom's head suddenly exploded, and Destiny reversed and dodged as Freedom fired its twin beam cannons.

# # #

The twin 'Tristian' beam cannons fired, literally burning off its laminated armor, followed by a trio of shells from the 'Isolde' anti-ship rifle. Murrue gritted her teeth.

"Prepare to submerge! Eject a engine pod and detonate it once we're down!" The Archangel's twin prows drove into the water as it began to lower into the depths.

# # #

"Oh, no you don't." Via muttered. "Fire Tanhauser!" The main cannon folded out of the Minerva's armored nose and charged, then fired. The beam moved slow, but it hit the Archangel, just as it sank into the water. There was an explosion.

# # #

Athrun's eyes shot wide as the explosion lit up the screen. He stepped backward and sank to a chair, not taking his eyes off the screen. His mouth was hanging open, he was too shocked to move it.

"Cagalli…" he whimpered…

"Um…Athrun?" He looked and saw Meer. He lunged up and had her neck in his arms, his hand on her chin.

"Order Shinn to back off, or I'll snap her neck in half." Athrun snarled, eyes narrowed, teeth grinding. Durandal looked at Athrun, both amused and concerned.

"Would you really kill an innocent girl to save people who are already dead?" Durandal asked.

"It'll be easy, like breaking a _toothpick_." Something rebelled, deep inside Athrun, but the rage drowned it out. If Durandal made him suffer, he was going to _PAY_ for it!!

"Kill her, then. I'll just find another." Meer and Athrun both reacted to Durandal's comment with shock, but Athrun looked even angrier than before. He looked at Meer, who just looked back at him with wide, horrified eyes. He could hear the guns being cocked behind his back, ready for the order.

'_It won't bring Cagalli back…' _the rebellious conscious advised. Athrun lowered his eyes from Meer's and let go, dropping his hands to his sides. Defeated. It was over. Athrun was dead without Cagalli. She'd been pregnant, but now Athrun would never know his child. _Their_ child. He didn't even know what it's name would've been, he didn't even know if it was a boy or a girl. He relaxed, or rather, unclenched, his fists failing, closing his lips over teeth that ceased grinding.

"I'm sorry for the loss of your friends, Athrun, but this is a war." Durandal said. He started to turn back to the screen when Athrun looked up. The look in his eyes matched the look he'd had when he charged his father under the aim of enough guards to stop even him. He charged, roaring, and leaped across the desk and wrapped his hand around Durandal's throat, picking him up and slamming his head against the glass window, creating a spiderweb of cracks.

His pupils were shrunk from his sudden SEED mode.

"Well, Athrun? Are you going to kill me?" Durandal asked, his face calm, as if he'd faced death several times before. Athrun gritted his teeth, panting.

"I would certainly like to." Athrun admitted, eyes filling with tears. Durandal looked down in Athrun's eyes.

"Yes…I'm sure you would. I can see your anger. It gives you _focus_…" Durandal's voice slowly transformed to something infinitely darker, a black well of hatred and despair that made Athrun's rage seem like a pothole in the road in comparison. Athrun was becoming more and more suddenly afraid of this man.

"Well?" Durandal asked, his voice normal again. Athrun's eyes blinked wide, shocked by the reversion of Durandal's voice. He swallowed and dropped the chairman, backing up. Durandal smiled as Athrun was escorted out, followed by Meer, and looked back to the screen.

# # #

Destiny's main wings opened, and a plane of pink energy formed in the new gap of both. Destiny held the Arodight in a guard position, and Shinn boosted forward, drawing back the anti-ship sword back, wielding it with both of Destiny's hands. He slashed out, severing Freedom's beam saber wielding hand. He slashed again, severing the other arm, then slashed out one last time, severing Freedom's remaining leg and railgun, and boosted backwards, using his beam rifle to destroy both wings. Shinn grinned viciously as the torso fell, and he shot after it, sword pulled back like a spear. He lashed out, piercing the torso in the abdomen.

# # #

Canard's eyes went wide, and he flipped a switch, deactivating the nuclear reactor, just in time to curb the explosion, but it was still of nuclear proportions.

# # #

When the blast cleared, Shinn was giggling. Yes, giggling! He'd done it! He'd beaten the mighty Kira Yamato, and destroyed him! And the Archangel was destroyed, too! Along with that useless Attha! Shinn was really laughing, pulling off his helmet and dropping it into his cockpit somewhere. He gripped his head, crying tears of joy.

_SHINN_ was the best!! _SHINN_ had destroyed the Freedom!

# # #

Cagalli grabbed the armored cockpit block and started for the Archangel, her Strike Rouge boosting on as fast as it could in deep water.

# # #

Canard was broken and bloody inside his helmet, the visor shattered. He felt the motion and chuckled. He knew Cagalli wouldn't have left him.

"I'm sorry, Kira. I failed." He said.

# # #

**Hick-bot 1k: Yep, dat Freedom was real tough, but we done got it good and kilt, didn't we Shinn? **

**Shinn: Man, we sure did, but I chopped it up nice and good-like.**

**Chaos Nightbringer: you two can scare me, you know that? Wheeeeelp, we done killed Freedom. Wait, did I just talk like…(glares at Hick-bot and Shinn.) Eh, I live in the country anyway. (Which is a bonus, considering I'm rather strange when I mow the lawn. (It's a big lawn, and I have to use a push mower. It's like a mini-heat stroke.)**

**Well, I don't have anything to ask for questions this chapter, except:**

**1) do you think I may have made Destiny a little over powered?**

**2) Does anybody have an idea for Durandal's ace in the hole? I need an idea for a mobile suit(I've got a pilot) who could be an equel or even better than Kira and Strike Freedom.**


	26. Athrun of the Skies

Phase 25: Athrun of the Skies

Meer continued to follow Athrun to his cell. The guards locked him in, and Athrun sat down with his back to the wall, facing the door. Meer stood before the cell, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry, Athrun." She finally managed. Athrun looked up at her, eyes brimming with tears, lower lip trembling. Athrun tried to smile, but the trembling became worse with the attempt, and he gave up, lowering his head again. Meer frowned and sat down.

"Cagalli…I never told you how I met her, did I?" Athrun looked up to see Meer shake her head. Athrun lowered his head again, not looking at Meer anymore than he had to. "Me and my mobile suit at the time, the Aegis, were being transported to Gibraltar by plane. Cagalli was flying a Skygrasper on a patrol, and she came across my plane. They shot each other down, and I was ejected, landing on an island. She landed on the same island. We both tried to kill each other. I was going to, to kill her with a knife, when she screamed. It froze me solid. I hadn't known she was a girl. I tied her up and tossed her gun into the sea. She fell into an ocean-filled hole, on her back. About then, a storm decided to come in, and the first wave put her underwater. She came up scared as a possum. We didn't learn each other names until after we were picked up. I never told anyone, neither did she. I never thought I'd see her again." Athrun chuckled. "Funny how fate works, huh? We meet and I tie her up, and two years later I'm tied around her finger."

"_I'm Cagalli! What's your name?!" Athrun blinked, surprised._

"_It's Athrun!"_

Meer smiled. Then looked up when she heard Athrun sobbing. His shoulders were shaking, his hands in fists in his lap, his head bowed, hair hiding her view of his face.

# # #

Kira and Lacus entered the bridge. DaCosta turned to look at them grimly.

"Athrun was captured by ZAFT forces. Freedom was destroyed, and we can't confirm if the Archangel survived the attack." He said. Kira turned to Lacus.

"We have to get him out." Kira said. Lacus nodded and turned, leading Kira off the bridge. They entered the lift. Lacus looked at Kira. Kira looked back at her and smiled.

"You're still worried about me, aren't you?" he asked. Lacus pressed her lips together, frowning. Kira grabbed her elbow and pulled her against him. "You don't have to worry. I told you before. I'm not broken anymore." (For those of you who haven't read Broken Swords, I recommend you do so. Some of my better writing, if I do say so myself.)

"If Shinn destroyed Freedom, how are you going to fight him?" Kira just smiled.

"With you by my side. When we get back to the Archangel, I'll teach you to pilot a mobile suit just as well as I can." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring she'd given him. Lacus looked at the ring, then back to Kira. He slipped the ring onto her finger, then held her hand, examining it. "It looks pretty good." Lacus smiled. Kira looked to her and nodded. Lacus continued to lead him to the mobile suit deck.

# # #

"Extend launch catapult. Freedom and Justice are heading out." DaCosta ordered. The Eternal faded into visibility, its catapult doors opening.

# # #

Kira sealed his helmet and gripped the control yolks. His new mobile suit was lowered onto the launch tracks, prepared to launch.

"Kira Yamato, Strike Freedom, launching!" Strike Freedom launched forward, and detached its feet from the launch tracks. It opened its wings and stopped, turning.

# # #

Lacus was nervous as she strapped herself in. Kira was wearing a pilot suit, sure, and he'd strapped himself in, but he didn't even activate his suit's phase shift armor. She had it on as soon as she was in place.

"Lacus Clyne, Infinite Justice, launching!" Justice shot forward, and Lacus almost panicked, and she was certainly screaming. She hit breaking thrusters, and Justice slowed down and stopped not five meters from the end of the Eternal's launch ramp. She knew how to fly the suit, she just wasn't sure of herself, Justice was fast, and she had no great desire to fly straight to the moon. Kira boosted to meet her.

'Lacus, you're supposed to let the momentum carry you forward.' Kira said, doing his best to contain his laughter.

"I'm just scared of crashing!" Lacus said, slightly angry. (Let's face it, Lacus has a severe deficiency on anger hormones.)

'You won't crash, Lacus. I taught you enough already to not crash.' There was a pause, then, 'Shut up, DaCosta! She's just a beginner! My god, how was your first day in a GINN? Bet you weren't under fire!! Just follow me, Lacus.' Strike Freedom turned, its phase shift activating, and boosted for Earth. Lacus followed, moving Justice stiffly. As Freedom entered the atmosphere, it slowed and grabbed Justice's hand.

'Trust me, Lacus!' Kira shouted through the roar of reentry.

"I do, Kira! Always!" Freedom and Justice began to shake.

# # #

Kira turned off his radio temporarily. "Flay? Are they alright?" he felt a positive feeling from somewhere near Orb. That he could feel something that far away was something. He switched his radio back on. "Lacus! When we're through, head for Orb. The Archangel's heading their. I'll be their with Athrun soon."

'Alright, Kira.' He let go of Justice's hand after a single moment, then boosted for Gibraltar. He shut off his radio, and shut down everything but the Phase Shift and Nuclear reactor, and his weapons. If he was going to try and sneak into Gibraltar might as well try it right.

# # #

Shinn stepped in front of Athrun's cell, smiling coolly. Lacus had left, leaving Shinn alone with Athrun.

"I destroyed Freedom. I killed Kira. By myself." Shinn announced. Athrun looked up.

"Kira wasn't piloting Freedom. He wasn't even onboard the Archangel." Shinn gritted his teeth.

"You're just saying that so you can avoid the nightmare of Kira being dead. Because you just adore that guy, don't you? Is he your little boyfriend?" Athrun shook his head.

"You're acting like a six-year old." Shinn's eyes widened in rage.

"Shut up!! I'm _better_ than you and Kira! And we both know it!!"

"Shinn, Durandal is requesting our presence." Rey said from the cell block door.

"He can wait a few minutes, Rey!!" Shinn shouted, then turned back to Athrun. "Bet that little Attha slut is dead, too!" Athrun's hands were suddenly around his neck, choking the life from him. Shinn gagged and threw himself from Athrun's hands.

"**DON'T YOU DARE CALL CAGALLI YULA ATTHA A SLUT, YOU LITTLE PUNK!! SHE WAS TWICE THE PERSON YOU'LL EVER BE!!" **Athrun shouted. Shinn wiped his mouth with his sleeve and stalked from the cellblock. Athrun walked backwards and sat down on the cot, panting. Athrun looked up to see a ghost of Rau Le Cruset leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

"Hello, Athrun." Rau said.

"Commander Le Cruset," Athrun acknowledged. "I thought you were dead." Rau chuckled.

"That's right, I was. But I find that I cannot sleep quietly in my grave, while Durandal still roams among the living. I came to warn you of his intent." Athrun narrowed his eyes.

"Go on."

"He plans to create a genetic caste system for the whole of humanity. This plan, this Destiny Plan of his, would rob humanity of the very thing which I was robbed of."

"A future…" Athrun said.

"Exactly, Athrun. Now, I'll help you escape. The code to the door is 284786. There is a Gouf Ignited in the hangar." Rau pushed off the wall and walked through the bars and faded away. Athrun reached through the bars and unlocked the door. He pushed open the door and started out the cell block. He looked around the corner and saw Rey approaching. Athrun kneeled down. When Rey rounded the corner, Athrun slammed him against the wall, knocking the younger pilot out. Athrun quickly traded ids with him and took his pistol, putting it in his jacket holster. He froze at the security checkpoint. Different guards…maybe they didn't recognize him. He approached and handed over his ID card. The guard swiped it, then looked back to Athrun, handing it back.

"Gundam pilot, huh?" the guard asked. Athrun smiled.

"You have no idea." The guard chuckled and let Athrun past. Athrun heard Rey shouting and guards drawing guns on him. Athrun looked back at Rey, who was being moved back to the cellblock, and winked at him. He turned only to run into Meyrin. He gave a shout and jumped back.

"Ath-" Athrun covered her mouth.

"Quiet, please. I'm Rey right now. I need help escaping." Meyrin nodded. Athrun removed his hand. "There's a Gouf Ignited in the hangar, I need to get to it." Alarms suddenly went off. "Quickly."

He and Meyrin started running.

# # #

Kira dodged and fired one of his Lupus Augustus beam rifles, shooting off the head of a Gouf Ignited. A pair of BABIs fired their chest beam cannons at him, and he fired his own back, twice, blasting off their legs.

_Flash_

He turned, and dodged Destiny's slash. He replaced his beam rifles on Freedom's hips and drew his twin beam sabers, opening Strike Freedom's wings.

# # #

Athrun stopped by the Gouf Ignited and put his foot into the zip line's handle. Meyrin suddenly hugged his arm.

"Let me come with you! Please?" she begged.

"Stop him!" Athrun looked to see Durandal pointing at Athrun. Athrun grabbed Meyrin's waist and started the zip line. He jumped into the cockpit, taking Meyrin with him, and closed the hatch. Athrun opened the Gouf's wings and launched, shooting out into the dark sky. Athrun saw Destiny fighting a mobile suit, but Athrun didn't know it. His eyes went wide as the suit turned to him.

"Freedom?! Kira!!" he shouted, realizing. He scanned channels. "Kira!"

# # #

Kira blinked. "Athrun?" Destiny turned to the Gouf Ignited. Kira opened Strike Freedom's wings and boosted for the Gouf. He opened his railguns and shot Destiny, knocking the suit into the bay. Kira slowed and stopped next to the hovering Gouf Ignited. "Athrun, are you okay?"

# # #

"I'm okay." Athrun said. Destiny emerged and slashed. Athrun dodged. The blade passed through the armor, the tip slicing open Athrun's side. Athrun gave a cry, blood spurting from his mouth, and boosted away. He gripped his side, coughing up blood. Then, mercifully, he blacked out.

# # #

Kira sliced off the anti-ship sword blade and set his beam sabers into their recharge racks, then grabbed the Gouf and boosted away, becoming a dot in a matter of seconds.

"Athrun? Athrun, are you okay in there? Athrun!! Are you okay in there?!" Kira's eyes went wide.

'Athrun's bleeding!' a girl said from the GOUF Ignited. Kira knew her from somewhere, but he couldn't place it. 'He's unconscious.' Kira pushed Freedom as fast as it would go.

"Hang on!!"

# # #

Shinn landed on the deck of the Minerva, his teeth gritted. He was back! Dammit! Shinn killed him, but he was back!!

# # #

**I'm debating whether or not to attack Heaven's Base right now. With this attack, Durandal would probably want to attack Orb as soon as possible. And Djibril probably would've gone to ORB in the first place, it's a fortress. Who's with me? Yay or nay?! (Yay means yes, nay means no, and shut up, you're not a horse, means shut up, you're not a horse. Unless, you are a horse. God, I grow more insane per chapter!)**

**And I just restarted school, so I may have trouble cranking these bad boys out. And this chapter, I can't think up any questions, so you get to ask me some!! (You guys are getting REALLY spoiled, mesa thinks.)**


	27. Logos

Phase 26: Logos Phase 26: Logos

Shinn stepped into Durandal's office, followed by Rey. Durandal smiled as Shinn approached. Shinn quickly looked around the room. The whole office was red, with lighter areas in the carpet, and wide, curving window overlooking the bay. Durandal's desk and table stood on a raised crescent of floor, and a golden statue stood on a circular stand, taller than Shinn. Durandal looked at Rey, partially losing his warm smile.

"Leave us, Rey." He ordered. Rey opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't' think of anything and merely saluted, turned, and walked from the room. Shinn walked up the steps around the edge of the circular office, stepping onto the platform and standing by Durandal's desk. Durandal leaned back in his chair, frowning.

"I have a secret I need to share with you, Shinn. Multiple secrets, actually. I need to know I can trust you." Durandal said, looking at Shinn. Shinn's eyes widened. The chairman needed _him_?

"You know you can, sir." Shinn said, regaining his composure.

Durandal sighed. "I'm the last in a line of very influential men, very powerful men. Now I need to groom my successor. I know you, Shinn. You're quite skilled, and you have unshakable views. And you can command respect from people. Or even _fear_. I want you to be my apprentice. Just as I was Ulen Hibiki's apprentice. I'll teach you everything he taught me. With that knowledge and power, you can defeat anyone. Even Hibiki's abominable son, Kira Yamato." Shinn's eyes widened, and a smile began to tug at his lips. "Kira is a strange animal, Shinn. And I call him an animal because he should never have been born among humans. His father, my teacher, removed him from his mother's womb and placed him in a tank. A tank, Shinn. Nine months later, he was born, the 'Ultimate Coordinator.' I know that title is false. You've proved yourself quite superior." Shinn sucked in a breath, grinning. "I'm a politician. A scientist. I've never wielded military might. But you can. You will be the strongest of this decsendance. But first, you have to forge your power through combat. To that end, I want you to take Destiny to Heaven's Base, the Atlantic Federation Headquarters. The members of Blue Cosmos's ruling body, Logos, is residing there. Let nothing stand in your way. Do not hesitate, and show no mercy." Shinn was smiling now, and he bowed.

"Master." Shinn said, then stood straight and stalked out of the room. Durandal smiled. Rey walked in, and Durandal's smile vanished.

"You failed me, Rey." Durandal said. "And Rau's ghost is no longer here to protect you." Rey's eyes went wide, and he took a hesitant step back.

"Please, Gil-" he stopped as his Durandal's eyes lit up. Rey screamed, his hands going to his head. Rey tried to raise his mental shield, but the force of the newtype attack was too much. "Please!! Please!! I'll do better!! I swear it!!" Durandal's eyes faded back to gold. Rey stood up, panting.

"I know you will. Now go to the Minerva and stay there until I call you." Rey gritted his teeth.

"I thought I was like a son to you? You were going to teach me everything you knew?" Durandal's neutral face became a sneer.

"You're not worthy. Not in the least. Shinn is far superior. Now go." Rey turned and left, making sure not to bow. He stopped outside Durandal's office and punched the wall, eyes tearing up.

"Rau…_why did you have to die?!_" he screamed.

# # #

Athrun opened his eyes to see Lacus and Kira looking down at him. He felt cold, and clammy. He tried to sit up, and Kira's hand pushed him back down. Athrun drew in a hiss as Kira's pinky brushed his bandaged side.

"What happened to me?" he asked.

"You don't remember?" Kira asked. "Destiny's anti-ship sword cut through your side, all the way to the spine. Almost nicked it." Athrun swallowed involuntarily, a ghost of a ripping, burning pain passing through his body.

"Where's Meyrin?" Athrun asked, remembering the red-haired girl who'd aided his escape.

"She's been released. She had a slight fever, but she got out of it. ZAFT attacked Heaven's Base while you were out. Shinn was sent out as a first wave. He destroyed five huge mobile suits I've never seen before."

Athrun thought back to the Destroy. Canard had been involved in the design process, and explained the thing to Athrun later. 'It's Blue Cosmos's ace in the hole. They're going all in. We'll have to do the same.'

"I'll need Savior." Athrun said. Kira and Lacus looked at each other, grinning.

"No, you won't." Kira said. Athrun looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"ZAFT had designed a pair of mobile suits for mass production, but they were abandoned in favor of Destiny and Legend. Kira helped redesign them, and with repair parts for Freedom and Justice, we upgraded and built them." Lacus said. "Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice."

Athrun's eyes were wide. "Freedom and…_Justice_?" He could be Athrun "The Crimson Knight" Zala, again? He looked down at his lap, considering, thinking, just trying to sort his emotions out. He closed his eyes when his answer came to him. "No, thank you. I have Savior."

"And Shinn has Destiny. Lunamaria and Mayu have Impulse and Gaia." Kira started.

"It gets worse." Athrun said, interrupting. "Rey has Legend. It's an upgrade of Providence." Kira froze solid.

_He weaved through space, chased by green lances of energy, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. Kira couldn't have kept up without SEED Mode. And something else behind that. The grey suit fired its bazooka-like beam rifle._

_- - -_

_Kira rammed the beam lance through Providence's torso, the end of the beam emerging from Providence's back, Kira-_

"Kira!" Lacus called again, snapping Kira to attention. Kira looked to Lacus's worried face, then back to Athrun's.

"I'm…alright." He'd live, at least. Rey was Legend's pilot? He thought back to his time aboard the Minerva. It snapped. Kira was comparing Rey to Rau, when he'd seen Rau's face.

"Rey…is Rau. Rau is Rey. Rau tried to end the world…no!" Kira looked up, eyes wide.

"Rau helped me escape." Athrun said. "I saw him, while I was in the brig. He gave me the code, told me how to escape." Kira looked at Athrun. Flay communicated with Kira? Could Rau do the same? He was a stronger psychic than Flay. It was possible?

'What could Rau tell me?' Kira wondered.

'_A great many things, Kira.' Rau said from Kira's mind. 'Did you ever wonder, why you developed a sixth sense? I woke it up! I woke up what your brain had suppressed, I awakened you! I drew you to the bio-sensor!'_

'I won't destroy the world.' Kira thought at the presence.

'_I would never ask you to! You're a real fool, boy. Which may be why I lost. People can change. And I never destroyed the world. It was an insatiable desire! The very thing I was working to end!' Rau laughed. 'I want to see if you can really change this world without destroying it. So show me, Kira Yamato!'_

Kira turned as Canard stepped into the infirmary.

"Durandal's giving a speech."

# # #

Durandal stepped up to a podium bearing the ZAFT Emblem that resembled a PLANT. He smiled and raised two hands to calm the cheering. Meer sat in the front row, barely smiling.

"My Fellow Coordinators. Today we have discovered a band of evil, more powerful than Blue Cosmos. These men are owners of some of the businesses that develop the weapons the Earth Alliance and the O.M.N.I. Enforcer use to attack our homes. We have reason to believe that Athrun Zala was a spy for this organization, brainwashed to do their evil bidding, as he recently tried to defect to the Earth Forces, but was stopped by the efforts of the newest and most promising member of FAITH, the Minerva's own Shinn Asuka, who just recently subdued five of the Earth Alliance's GFAS-X1 Destroy Mobile Suits single-handedly with his new Destiny." Shinn stood up, smiling and performed a bow, then sat down. Some people cheered, and Durandal smiled and nodded to Shinn. He turned back to the crowd and went serious again. "This group was the one who ordered the attack on Junius Seven two years ago, and the recent use of Nuclear Weapons against us! This group is known… as Logos!"

# # #

The four shadowed figures watched the TV with interest.

"This is just like what happened after Operation Spitbreak." Sebastian said. "Will we need to launch the Izumo into space?"

"Can't hurt." Samorei said. "Alex and Yzak said ZAFT has some kinda new weapon."

"The Archangel will be here soon. And Cagalli with it." The third figure stood up and switched on the lights, illuminating Sebastian Conner, Samorei Joule, and Alex Strassmeier.

"So what do we do?" Rondo Mina Sahaku asked. Samorei smiled.

"Protect Orb."

# # #

"The head of Logos, Lord Djibril, is currently hiding somewhere in Orb. ZAFT will demand that Orb hand over Djibril. If it does not, we will attack with force." Durandal finished. "Questions?"

# # #

**I did NOT wanna write Heaven's base, (despite it being Rey and Legend's debut, I did not have any idea how it was played out, and I don't even know what the main cannon does.) I'm really hankerin' to get to the Second Battle of Onogoro, (which will debut Rey, Mayu, and Lunamaria's new rides, and the Akatsuki, Zangetsu, Soryu, and Gekka, and Infinite Justice. In other words, we've got a brawl coming.)**

**Anyway, here's Alex, Sebastian, and Samorei's new suits. (All battery Operated, except Soryu, since its Providence Striker mounts a Nuclear Reactor)**

**ORB-X01-Zangetsu**

**Pilot: Sebastian Conner**

**Fixed Weapons: 72 mm CIWS x4, 'Murakumo' double-bladed beam saber x1, (can be separated into separate beam sabers, mounted in recharge rack on back of skirt armor,) Type-73 beam rifle x1, (can mount beam saber as bayonet), 'Kagami Zangetsu' beam mirror armor katana, x 2, (mounted one on each side skirt armor.)**

**Optional Weapons: Aile Striker, Sword Striker, 'Tensa' sky pack.**

**backstory: The first experimental design for the Akatsuki, the Zangetsu was built with its signature black armor that resembles black marble. The armor was considered a failure, as it did not reflect a beam well enough to harm anything. (The result was something similar to an attack by a beam scatter gun.) However, the Zangetsu proved very resilient to beam weapons, and was later equipped with a pair of katanas for use by the sword wielder Sebastian 'Storm Wolf' Conner, and was renamed from Akatsuki-F1 (Akatsuki Failure 1) to Zangetsu.**

**ORB-X04 Gekka**

**Pilot: Samorei Joule**

**Fixed Weapons: CIWS x2, 'Susanoo' Beam cannon x1, (mounted in Torso) beam saber x 2, stored on side skirt armor, Type-73 Beam rifle x 1.**

**Optional Weapons: 'Seidoutou' Close combat pack, mounts anti-ship sword x2, beam boomerang x2. **

**Backstory: The Gekka was designed and built with actual hardened glass mirrors behind a layer of anti-beam coating. The two units before it also used this type of armor, but the kinetic force of a beam cannon blast obliterated the suits completely. The Gekka, however, had a frame built out of hardened lunar alloy, and the glass was supported by a layer of shock absorbent ceramic alloy. The Gekka was considered a success inside a failure, while it could reflect beam blasts nearly perfectly, it put severe stress on the armor and the alloy for its frame was too expensive to replicate in the final Akatsuki. Nevertheless, Samorei Joule found the mirror look of the suit striking, and took it as his own, developing his own pack for it, and renaming it the Gekka. The Gekka is still nearly impervious to beam rifles and beam sabers, and is fast enough to dodge beam cannons and anti-ship swords, and is armed to deal with close combat weapons.**

**ORB-X06 Soryu**

**Pilot: Alex Strassmeier**

**Fixed Weapons: CIWS x2, 'Murakumo' double bladed beam saber, stored on left side skirt armor, 'Picus' machine guns x2.**

**Optional Weapons: Type-73 beam rifle, Beam gatling gun, Aile Striker, Providence Striker, mounts 3x Beam Spike Dragoon Pods (mounts five beam guns each, mounted on backpack), 8x small Dragoon pods (mounts 3 beam gun each, mounted on backpack and striker-pack mounted skirt armor), composite armed shield, (mounts 2x beam gun and long beam sword.)**

**Backstory: The Soryu was the final Akatsuki testbed unit before the final version, with silver beam mirror armor instead of gold, and a custom striker pack in the Providence Striker. When the Soryu was completed and tested, Erica Simmons had Alex test the unit's Dragoon System and other weapons, then offered him the suit. Alex accepted, and the Soryu was added to the Izumo's mobile suit count.**

**Well, I guess we go onto questions.**

**1) Why do you think Athrun refused to pilot Infinite Justice?**

**2) What do you think Yuna's last words should be?**

**3) Durandal's?**


	28. Approaching Dawn

Phase 27: Approaching Dawn

Lunamaria looked from the mobile suit hangar below to Shinn, who had just entered and stood beside her. She started to smile, then thought of Meyrin and frowned.

"Luna," Shinn said, drawing her attention, "I didn't know Meyrin was in that suit with Athrun. What I wanted to say is-" he was stopped by Lunamaria's fingers touching his lips.

"It's not your fault. It's Logos's. Athrun probably played on her crush with him. If she's…dead…" her expression went hateful, "I'll kill everyone of those Natural Bastards!!" Shinn frowned.

"I don't want you to become a murderer, Luna." He recalled distinctly walking into the room full of the members of Logos, assault rifle in hand. He could've just sliced them all in half with Destiny's Arodight, but they didn't deserve a surprise death. They should know it was coming for them, for the sins they'd done. Shinn had grinned as he raised the weapon one handed and let loose, ripping them apart with bullets. It almost made him smile again. He held it back for Luna's sake.

Luna smiled and looked up at him. "I know, Shinn. But we're all killers. It's the destiny of soldiers like us." Shinn frowned at the word Destiny. Was it destiny that killed his parents, not Calamity? Not the Atthas for sticking to their ideals? "But our Destiny lead us to each other, too." Shinn looked up, surprised. Lunamaria smiled and put her arms around his torso, under his arms, her cheek on his breastbone. Shinn lowered his face just a millimeter, and his mouth was on Luna's hair. He hugged her back, one hand on her shoulders, the other around the small of her back. He smiled, content.

# # #

Rey picked up his picture of himself with Rau. They'd both been younger then. Rau hadn't put on his mask yet, and Rey was only eight, still a short little guy, riding on Rau's back. Rau was actually smiling, his hair somewhere between waving and straight, not yet what it had been after he'd put on his mask. But the smile was somehow sad. Sadness was, unfortunately, something Rey and Rau had both been very accustomed to.

Rey felt Mayu open the door, as well as the door's sliding open betraying what was otherwise a stealthy entrance. Rey set down the picture and kept his back to Mayu. Rey had to keep her away. Rey could never live long enough to make Mayu happy for her whole life. He only had fifty years, at most, with the constant telomere supplements, and without, perhaps 15.

"Why did you come?" Rey asked, his voice falsely curious. He had to play this right.

"I heard you had a bad headache when you came back aboard. I wanted to see if you were alright." Rey smiled to himself. So naïve and innocent. Refreshing. Suddenly, his whole body was sore and aching, and it felt like his bones were breaking, and in a way, they were. Teenaged bones weren't supposed to shift to fully mature ones overnight. Rey screamed at the sudden pain and reached for his drawer. He searched through his clothes, unable to find the box.

"Rey?!" Mayu cried. She looked around, unsure of what to do. Rey gritted his teeth, groaning violently with the growing pains, and threw his drawer into the opposite wall, pulling out another one. He found his blue box and ripped the top off, grabbing three pills and dropping them in his mouth, worked up the spit to swallow them, and did. He gritted his teeth and waited, panting, as the supplements slowly took effect and the pain eased, eased, faded, then finally disappeared.

"Rey, are you alright?" Mayu asked, supremely worried. Rey had to chuckle at the question. Was he alright? He sat down on the bed and pulled his coat open. Mayu stood in front of him and got to her knees.

"I was never alright as far as humans are concerned. Coordinators. Naturally born ones. But I'm…I'm something different, something that shouldn't be allowed to exist. I have shortened telomeres, I doubt you know what that means. But to make it simple, I was five years old at my first birthday. Another year and the pain started coming. I was seven when I had to start taking telomere supplements to keep myself from growing too fast."

"You mean…you're not a coordinator?" Mayu asked, concerned.

"I'm a Coordinator, but I don't just fall under that category. I also fall under Newtype…and Clone." Mayu slowly stood up, eyes wide, frightened. But not of Rey.

"Y-you're a clone? But that's ill-" Mayu started.

"Illegal? What are laws but made to be broken? You can't control humanity perfectly without some small riot here, a death there. Laws are only made by humans, so how can humans follow them? And yes, I'm a clone. Of Al Da Flaga, to be precise, with genetic Coordination so I can survive more extremes than other humans."

Mayu didn't say anything. "My name…my real name…is Rey za Flaga. My brother was Rau la Flaga."

"Rau la Flaga? I'd heard of Rau le Cruset but I never heard…of…" Mayu backed up as the truth dawned on her. "Rau le Cruset? Your older brother is Rau le Cruset?" Rey followed her with his eyes as she backed up to the door. He smiled an unpleasant smile, and Mayu turned her back to him. Rey looked back ahead. Now she'd walk out and never speak to him again. Rey was sure of it. Rey would just sit there, not leaving his quarters until she was well over him. And he'd finished crying her out of his memories.

"Any life is worth living, no matter how hard it is." Mayu said, drawing Rey's attention. "I don't care if you die twenty years before me, I want to live with you." It was Rey's turn to look surprised. A distant part of his mind registered how unlike her brother Mayu was. Rey felt a small swell in a place he'd long ago written off as dead. Could it be…his heart? He looked back down, tears welling up in his eye. "I don't want you to die unhappy! If you do, it'll break my heart, and I'll die just as unhappy! Worse!"

"Life is hard." Rey said, reaching into the years of despair for the coldness to keep a straight face. Mayu looked at Rey. Rey looked back at Mayu, meeting her eyes, and fought to control himself. He couldn't let her love him! He couldn't let her love him! 'Dammit, Rey, control yourself!!' Mayu reached into her coat and pulled out a pistol and aimed at Rey.

"I'll kill you! If you tell me to go again, I'll kill you!! I don't want to go!!" Rey looked ahead. Stupid girl.

"Go ahead." Rey said.

_Mayu's cell phone hit the ground and shattered._

Mayu just stared, eyes wide, mouth hanging open, tears running down her cheeks. "Rey…" her voice was trembling, hurt, sad, dying. Rey closed his eyes to compose himself. Rey heard a click, and he looked up to see Mayu pointing the gun…at her own temple. His eyes went wide. He stood up, angry and worried.

"Are you completely insane?!" he shouted. "Put your gun away!!"

"No!!" Mayu shouted back.

"That's an order!"

"Why do you care?!" Mayu asked, crying, "I'm nothing to you!! Why should you care?!" Rey backed up, trying to rein in his emotions. He cursed and punched the wall behind him. "The only person you ever care about is yourself!!" Rey whirled.

"You are so STUPID!! You blinds,_ (see bottom)_ you're all so stupid!! I'm not pushing you away because I don't care!! I'm pushing you away because I don't want anybody_ going down with me!!_" Mayu's hand loosened in her shock, and the machine pistol dropped from her hand. Rey's eyes shot wide, pupils contracting, and he shot forward, pushing Mayu down. The gun hit the floor and went off. The bullet moved both normally and in slow motion to Rey, an odd mixture of heightened reflexes and lightning fast synapse firing, and the bullet passed through Rey's shoulder. Rey gave a cry, gritting his teeth, then they both hit the floor outside of his quarters. Rey rolled off of Mayu and stood up, a hand on his bloody shoulder.

# # #

Via reached into her drawer and pulled out her picture book. She opened the first page and sighed. She'd gotten the book when Canard was born, and only ever filled it with three pictures. The first one was Via holding baby Canard, the next holding Kira and Cagalli, and the last holding Stella.

# # #

Kira jolted awake as the alarms went off. He quickly dressed in his pilot suit and rushed for the hangar.

# # #

Murrue looked to the CIC. "Activate Igelstellungs! Open launch catapult as soon as Kira's ready to launch."

# # #

Canard powered up his Dreadnought H as Kira lowered himself into Strike Freedom.

'You're going, too?' Kira asked over the radio.

"I'm not some useless mobile armor pilot, you know." Canard muttered.

'An attack for of 50 BABIs, only. No other units detected.' Mirillia informed.

# # #

Sebastian, Alex, and Sam looked at the radar screen. Alex actually looked worried. Sebastian looked around, and sighed.

"Okay, I'll head out in the Zangetsu. The Gekka and Soryu aren't quite ready yet." Sebastian said, heading for the lift. Alex looked over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed.

"You don't think I can handle it with my Murasame?" Sebastian grinned his lupine grin over his shoulder, golden eyes narrowed.

"Hell no. Besides, the wolf wants out." He looked at Sam. "And besides, you and Mr. Stormbird aren't really equipped to handle BABIs." He walked into the lift. Samorei chuckled and shook his head.

"I almost feel sorry for Durandal." He said. Alex gave him a neutral stare. Sam's smile disappeared upon seeing Alex's expression.

"Nevermind."

# # #

"Kira Yamato. Freedom, let's do it!" Freedom bent its knees and blazed down the tracks, then released, its engines igniting.

# # #

Canard closed his visor. "This is Pars. Dreadnought, heading out." Dreadnought shot forward, its Zasta Stigmate beam machine gun in hand.

# # #

Kira dodged a pair of beam rifle shots and fired back, destroying the attackers' beam rifles. The suits instead aimed their gun launchers and fired, nearly hitting Freedom. 'Can't use my Dragoons, and there are way to many!' A large portion of the suits began firing their quad vulcans on Freedom, forcing him to dodge. He fired his railguns, knocking off vulcans suit by suit, rounds sparking off his Phase Shift armor.

He turned just as a pair of BABIs fired their beam cannons. Kira's eyes went wide. Not enough to time to dodge, if he could just get his shields up. A black suit intercepted the beams, and the blasts hit the suit and exploded, hiding it behind a cloud of smoke.

'You out here playing games with these birds?' came a familiar voice. The black suit emerged from the cloud, golden-bladed katana in hand, and sliced both suits' legs off with a pair of precise, quick slashes.

Kira's eyes widened again. "Sebastian?!"

# # #

Sebastian smiled. "Hey. How you holdin' up, kid?" His smile turned to a deadly serious frown. "Lacus had better be okay."

# # #

"Lacus is fine." Kira assured. He turned and fired his left 'Lupus Augustus' beam rifle twice, destroying two mobile suit heads. "But what's that suit you're piloting?"

# # #

"Complicated. That's what it is. Just help me slice up these flyboys before they hurt themselves. He turned on the 46 remaining BABIs and grinned. "The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due's back in action! Arrrrrlloooooo!!" he charged as he howled, drawing his katana back. A pair of BABIs fired their beam rifles on the Zangetsu, only for the green beams hit the suit and reflect off little sprays of energy, not even phasing the mobile suit's armor. He slashed the first suit's arms off and then cut the second one's head off.

A third BABI fired its gun launcher at Zangetsu, and Sebastian raised his shield. The round struck and dented the shield. Sebastian gritted his teeth. 'Great! They've already spotted the Zangetsu's weakness!' Sebastian dodged the next rounds and stabbed the BABI's monoeye. He dodged as more of the BABIs started firing gun launcher rounds at him.

"What happened to the days of DINNs and CGUEs?!" he asked angrily. The dreadnought dropped in front of the Zangetsu and took the rounds in the chest, the heavy rounds leaving nothing to mark their failure. He slashed through the suits with one of his beam sabers.

A trio of red and blue blasts disabled a trio of BABIs, and Sebastian looked over his shoulder to see Raider carrying Calamity, and Savior in mobile armor mode.

# # #

Kira disabled a BABI with his beam cannon and looked over his shoulder. "Lacus!!"

# # #

Sebastian's eyes went wide. 'Lacus? Lacus is in Savior?'

'Are you alright, Kira?' Lacus asked over the radio.

"Lacus?' he asked.

# # #

Lacus's blinked, surprised. She smiled. "Oh, Hello Sebastian! It's very nice to hear your voice again!"

# # #

Sebastian shook his head. "The feeling's mutual, Lacus."

'Lacus!' Kira said. 'You shouldn't be piloting Savior while you're pregnant.' Sebastian's smile froze.

"_Pregnant?!_"

# # #

**Wow, talk about a bad time to break the news to your ex. Although Lacus can place full blame on Kira. Unfortunately for our favorite Coordinator, so can Seb.**

**And Here's the final version for the Zangetsu's specs. (As per Storm Wolf's requests. Well, the Aile Striker was removed from optional equipment because the 'Tensa' sky pack fills that role just as easily, and it's about as fast as the original Freedom with it.)**

Orb-X01 Zangetsu

**Pilot: Do you really need to ask? If yes, ARE YOU ACTUALLY READING THIS?!**

**Powerplant: Hyper Deuterium Reactor (it was customized by Sebastian after Erica gave it to him, of course.)**

**Fixed Weapons: 72 mm CIWS x4, 'Murakumo' double-bladed beam saber x1, (can be separated into separate beam sabers, mounted in recharge rack on back of skirt armor,) Type-73 beam rifle x1, (can mount beam saber as bayonet), 'Kagami Zangetsu' beam mirror armor katana, x 2, (mounted one on each side skirt armor.)**

**Optional Weapons: Sword Striker, 'Tensa' sky pack.**

**backstory: The first experimental design for the Akatsuki, the Zangetsu was built with its signature black armor that resembles black marble. The armor was considered a failure, as it did not reflect a beam well enough to harm anything. (The result was something similar to an attack by a beam scatter gun.) However, the Zangetsu proved very resilient to beam weapons, and was later equipped with a pair of katanas for use by the sword wielder Sebastian 'Storm Wolf' Conner, and was renamed from Akatsuki-F1 (Akatsuki Failure 1) to Zangetsu.**

**To questions: **

**1) How pissed off did Sebastian seem, huh?! (LOL)**

**2) Who wants to throw Sebastian and Kira in a pit and throw a knife in? (And I don't want to hear if you want Kira, Canard, and Sebastian to beat Athrun to bloody pulp, Chronostorm, I already know you want Athrun beat to shit. Or soon will.)**

**3) Can you tell it's starting to move toward the end? 'Cause the chapters are growing long again.**

**4) How many of these questions are you really gonna answer? 'Cause if you do, you obviously enjoy wasting your time. Stupid questions… **


	29. Ever Closer Dawn

**While I was uploading this, I took a stroll down memory lane. I started this fic over 4 motnhs ago or something like that, during summer school. Now, through a ADD-affected summer of broken riding lawnmowers and pushing a lawn mower through a whole acre of land, here we are, approaching the end of Summer, and we're not even finished. So, I'd like to say thanks to Storm Wolf, NukeDawg, and Dragoon Swordsman, without their kindness this would be a much duller story, throughout, and to my favorite reviewers, (Don't be offended if you're not on this list.) Infinite Freedom, Chronostorm, Hellshadow, and the more recent Blaid, who gets a spot for opening my eyes to possiblities I haven't thought of.**

Phase 28: Ever Closer Dawn

Sebastian walked up to Lacus and Kira. Kira turned to regard Sebastian.

"I'm not mad." Sebastian said. "I'm just a little surprised. I mean, pregnant? But, did you keep it a secret from me because you thought I'd be mad?"

"Exactly!" Kira said. Sebastian elbowed Kira in the gut, knocking the younger coordinator flying.

"_That_ makes me mad!!" Sebastian grumbled, sitting down, placing his hand on his knee. He noticed something out of the corner of his eye and looked with a 'hmm?' "Is that…Justice?"

"Yeah." Kira croaked, trying to refill his lungs with oxygen. Sebastian turned to Kira.

"Then where's Athrun? Why wasn't he in the last battle?" Kira and Lacus regarded Sebastian, then looked to each other. Sebastian's eyes went wider.

# # #

Athrun opened his eyes, drowsy from a recent dose of painkillers. He looked at the darkened shapes standing outside of his infirmary area and looked back to the ceiling.

"I won't pilot Justice, if that's why you're here." He closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep.

'_Have you lost your will, Crimson Knight?' _Athrun's eyes opened at the voice, fully alert, and looked to the source of the voice.

"Mother? What are you doing here?" he asked. Lenore Zala sat down on the edge of his bed.

'_I have to watch out for you, don't I? Why won't you pilot Justice?' _

"I'm not worthy to pilot Justice. I lost my path."

'You have nothing to be ashamed of, Athrun. It's not like you have to stay on the path every moment of your life. Everyone gets lost at some point. You fall so you can learn to pick yourself up.'

"You're probably right." Athrun admitted. "But right now, I just don't know if I can pick myself up after this."

"Athrun?" came Meyrin's voice. Athrun looked to see Meyrin standing near his bed, dressed in one of Lacus's old dresses. Maybe it was Lacus's. Wasn't sure if she liked all pink. "Who are you talking to?" Athrun looked to see Lenore gone. He looked to the ceiling, smiling to himself.

"No one."

# # #

Kira walked into the infirmary and saw Meyrin dressed in Flay's old dress. He turned around, angry and walked out, leaving Sebastian and Lacus puzzled. Sebastian looked and saw Meyrin.

"Huh. She looks kinda like Flay." Lacus walked up to Meyrin.

"Meyrin, perhaps you shouldn't wear that." Lacus said. Meyrin looked at Lacus, offended.

"But it's the only thing that fits me! I'm not gonna wear some Earth Alliance uniform, either!" Lacus sighed, rubbing her temples. Sebastian smiled. The pregnancy hormones must've been taking effect, for Lacus to have a headache. The girl didn't have an angry bone in her body.

"Cagalli or Mirillia might have something for her to wear." Athrun blinked, remembering, then hit himself on the head.

"Lacus, can you get Cagalli for me? I need to talk to her." Athrun said. "I'd get her myself, but I'm still a little segregated."

"'Segregated?'" Sebastian asked, amused.

Athrun grinned. "Almost got sliced in half, and I'm still healing, segregated seemed the most appropriate word." Sebastian chuckled and walked out.

# # #

Kira entered his room and slammed his fist against the wall, teeth gritted.

"You damn war. Why did you have to come back?! I was happy!! Dammit, I was happy!!" he shouted at the ceiling.

'_If you can't take it…perhaps you should go end it right.'_ Rau suggested. _'Right now. Come, Kira, you know you want to.'_

"Shut up!" Rau chuckled. It made Kira's skin crawl. Kira looked to his bunk and saw his helmet sitting there, waiting. He narrowed his eyes and pushed off the wall, approaching it.

# # #

"Ma'am!" Neumann shouted. "Freedom! It's heading out!"

"What?" Murrue asked. She picked up the phone next to her. "Kira, what are you doing?"

# # #

Kira ignored her, his readout and radar reflecting on his helmet's visor, flipping switches to bring Freedom fully online. He lowered onto the launch tracks and leaned into launch position.

"Open the catapult, Murrue. You know I'll blast it open if I have to." Murrue gritted her teeth and moved the phone from her ear.

'Surface! Open the catapult. Deploy the grabbers.' The grabbers. A pair of rocket anchors to capture an unauthorized mobile suit launch. Kira knew they were a recent addition, he hadn't dealt with them. Yet. The Catapult doors opened, and Kira took off. A pair of claw like hands shot out of the Archangel's bow. Kira opened Strike Freedom's wings and turned, opening his Xiphias railguns and blasting both grabbers, then turned and boosted away.

He was out of sight of the Archangel in two seconds. In under half an hour, he could see the oncoming ZAFT fleet, the Minerva at the front.

# # #

Sebastian and Cagalli rounded the corner into the infirmary. Athrun sat up at their alarmed expressions.

"What is it?! Is ORB under attack right now?" Athrun asked.

"No, Kira's launched, and he's heading for the ZAFT fleet. Alone." Sebastian informed. Athrun blinked. Was he insane?

"I have to help him."

"I'll get Justice ready." Sebastian said, then head back the way he came.

"No, wait!" Athrun gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, lowering it to his side.

"What's wrong with Justice?" Cagalli asked. "Sebastian told me about new suit I'm supposed to get from Erica Simmons when I get to Orb, why not pilot your new suit?"

"I…I just don't want to pilot Justice!"

"You're afraid!" Cagalli said. "You're just a coward, aren't you?! You're afraid you'll make things worse! Athrun, things can't get any worse!! So pull yourself together, and go save my brother!! This isn't about just you and me, it's about everybody who'll die if you _don't_ go out there!" She set Athrun's helmet in his lap, along with his flight suit. Cagalli turned and started to walk away.

"Stop." Athrun said. Cagalli looked over her shoulder. Athrun looked at her. "Help me suit up."

Cagalli smiled.

# # #

Kira disabled a pair of BABIs and moved right in front of the Minerva's bridge, and raised a beam rifle, the other held ready at his side. Kira saw Via sitting in the captain's chair and froze, eyes going wide.

_Flash _

Kira turned and dodged a beam rifle shot, narrowing his eyes. A familiar snow-flake like shape with legs moved towards him in what seemed like slow motion, and Kira's eyes went wide again. The snowflake moved out of the shadow, revealing its body.

# # #

Rey showed no expression as he aimed his beam rifle at Freedom.

"Hello, Kira."

# # #

Alarms started going off, and Alex looked up, surprised.

'Warning! Incoming missiles! All pilots to your machines!' Alex threw aside his book and jumped from the couch, heading for the mobile suit hangars. Sam ran alongside him.

"So begins the Second Battle of Onogoro, huh?" Sam asked. Alex didn't answer.

# # #

Cagalli helped the suited up Athrun into his seat. Athrun looked up at her, his hands in his lap. Cagalli smiled and leaned down and kissed the side of his visor. Athrun smiled and hit a button, his seat lowering into Justice's cockpit. Cagalli climbed off as Justice's outer hatch closed.

# # #

Infinite Justice was lowered onto the launch tracks and crouched into launch position.

# # #

Lacus, Neo, Sebastian, Cagalli, and Stella watched Infinite Justice prepare to launch. Neo turned to Sebastian.

"Hey, Seb, shouldn't we like salute or something? The Crimson Knight rides again! Or something." Neo said.

Sebastian was surprised for a moment, then chuckled. "Well we know you're memory's coming back. I never told you my name." Neo blinked, then looked back to Justice. _Athrun…_Justice's pilot's name was _Athrun_…. Neo turned and left the room.

Stella noticed Cagalli's eyes were shiny. "Sissy? Why are you crying?" Cagalli looked at Stella and then back to Justice, sobbing.

"If he continues this path, I'll have to choose…Orb…or him."

# # #

Athrun narrowed his eyes. "Athrun Zala, Infinite Justice. Launching!!"

# # #

Kira dodged tracer fire, firing his beam rifles intermittently, Legend circling around him. He dodged Destiny and connected his beam rifles, and fired. Legend blocked the shot meant for Destiny and fired its Dragoons from their positions on Legend's backpack. Destiny attacked with its anti-ship sword, weaving in out between Legend's beam gun attacks.

Kira cursed and set his Lupus A. rifles on Strike Freedom's hips, then drew his twin 'Super Lacerta' beam sabers. Destiny lunged, but a beam boomerang flew between Destiny and Freedom, slicing Destiny's Arodight sword in half. Kira turned to see a crimson suit fly out of the sun, wings open. Kira felt Legend fire its beam rifle at him, but Justice blocked the shot with its beam carry shield.

# # #

Athrun grinned. "I can't leave ya for two minutes and you get into trouble."

# # #

Kira just grinned, shaking his head. "Look at you, mister I couldn't dodge an anti-ship sword." Strike Freedom's chest vents hissed as they released excess heat, its eyes flashed, and Kira opened Freedom's wings, hands by his sides.

# # #

Justice's chest vents likewise vented excess heat away from the reactor, and its green eyes gave a similar flash, before it adopted a similar pose, back to back with Freedom.

_Start playing 'Invoke' if you have it. It's the first GS opening, and it's also played when Kira and Athrun use their Meteors for the first time. If you don't, I suppose 'Ignited' would also work._

# # #

Shinn gritted his teeth, drawing his beam rifle. "Stop posing around, you losers!!" He fired at Freedom. Freedom and Justice broke apart, lunging for Destiny and Legend. Freedom boosted in and sliced Destiny's beam rifle in half, and Justice kicked Legend's beam rifle in half with its 'Griffin' leg beams.

"WHAT?!" Shinn cried, shocked. Freedom ducked under Justice, which fired its 'Hyper Fortis' beam cannons, at Destiny, blasting off its head, while Freedom combined its beam rifles and blasted the head off the charging Legend.

# # #

A pair of beeps drew Kira and Athrun's attention.

'Kira! Athrun! ZAFT sent two fleets to ORB! Orb's under attack right now!' Kira looked to Athrun, and vice versa, and both nodded. The suits planted their feet on Legend's and Destiny's chest, respectively, and pushed off, sending Destiny and Legend crashing into the incoming Impulse and Chaos, sending all four suits crashing into the ocean while Justice and Freedom became dots on the horizon.

# # #

On the Minerva, Haine put his head in his hands.

"This is pathetic."

# # #

Canard sat down in front of Murrue and Waltfeld.

"We've got everything that is capable of running running. Forbidden's fully repaired, and Savior and the Strike Rouge are plugged into the reactors right now. Stella's ready to pilot, Shani, Clotho, and Orga are already in their machines, and I can be suited up in a moment's notice.

# # #

Via was visibly shaken from the brief but one-sided battle. Why hadn't Freedom fired? The beam would've hit her in the chest, obliterated her in a second, but Freedom had frozen solid, its gold eyes glowing, rifle aimed right at her.

She looked into her mirror in her bedroom and froze. She reminded herself of…Kira? Had Kira been piloting Freedom? He'd been friends with Athrun, and Athrun was piloting Justice…. Via moved her hand to the table to support herself. Kira had piloted Freedom! Shinn had almost destroyed Freedom! She sat down on her bed, horrified.

# # #

Kira stopped and turned to see the Minerva in the distance, hovering.

'Don't worry, mom.' Kira thought at the captain. 'I'll protect you. If you're guilty about letting me go, I already forgave you.'

'Kira?' Athrun asked over the radio. Kira turned Strike Freedom and boosted for ORB.

# # #

**I'm scary when I'm on a roll. I turned off my monitor for a minute and looked like Rau le Cruset in the reflection. (Which, considering I don't have long blonde hair and a mask, is kinda frightening. Maybe I'm going more psycho as Neo gets more of his memories back. Dammit! I knew this deal would come back to bite me in the ass!!)**

**1) You think Via got Kira's message?**

**2) Do you think Athrun will pick Cagalli or Orb?**

**3) What do you think Cagalli will pick?**

**BTW, I'm going to try and find a wallpaper I can give you good reviewers inspired by the series. Which means I'll probably have to look around and do a request on Minitokyo. Anybody knows any wallpaper artists or anything, let me know. (Especially if they use 3D renderings. They are awesomeness. And no, Awesomeness is not a word, but I'M sure as hell GONNA SAY IT! SO THERE!!)**

**So please hit the little purple button that says Go while the little Select box is set to 'review' or I'll sick Rau le Cruset on you! ("This world of insatiable desires will end! And then I'm gonna sit back and enjoy my direct TV!" Oh, shut up, you emo, you haven't even been paid for the commercial yet.) Okay, oddly, that doesn't sound like a made-up commercial. Which means start watching for Gundam SEED Direct TV commercials. **


	30. Akatsuki

Phase 29: Akatsuki

A pair of Zakus fired their beam rifles. One beam hit a emplacement and destroyed the gun in one shot, the other struck an on coming Murasame, piercing the suit seconds before it exploded.

"Heh! This is too easy!" The first Zaku pilot said, grinning.

# # #

The screens cast a midnight glow over the scarred face.

"Easy, huh?"

# # #

A Silver suit shot from the black smoke, wielding a double-bladed beam saber, and spun, slicing off both Zakus' heads and limbs.

# # #

A trio of Goufs cut a pair of Astray Shrikes in half. A mirrored mobile suit flew at the Goufs, a anti-ship sword in either hand. Its eyes flashed, and cut off the first two Goufs' sword arms. The third Gouf whipped its heat-rod at the suit. The Gekka spun and let the heat-rod wrap around the anti-ship sword in hand, then cut it off with the other sword. The links of the heat-rod floated in mid-air for a second. The Gouf's arms both fell off, sliced clean off, falling along with the Heat-rod links.

"Well, what do you say, Alex? Should we start the real party?"

# # #

Alex narrowed his eyes.

"Disable all you can. Proceed at your own digression."

# # #

Samorei grinned.

"Roger. Ten percent." His eyes flashed white, mirrored by the eyes of his Gekka.

# # #

The Zangetsu was lowered onto the launch rails, its Katanas in their sheathes, its 'Tensa' sky pack folded into launch position.

"Sebastian Conner, Zangetsu, heading out." The Zangetsu launched.

# # #

Canard strapped in as his Dreadnought H was loaded into the other catapult.

"Pars. Dreadnought, Launching."

# # #

Calamity and Raider were loaded into the twin catapults.

"Orga Sabnak, Calamity launching."

"Clotho, Raider launching." Both suits launched, Calamity jumping atop Raider.

# # #

Forbidden held its scythe by its side, crouched into launch position.

"Shani. Forbidden's heading out."

# # #

Stella flipped the Strike Rouge's systems on as the pink suit was lowered onto the launch rails. She gripped the yolks and took a deep breath. She could still do this. She knew it.

"Stella Loussier. Strike Rouge, launching." Stella's belly reached her throat as she launched.

"_You're my best, Stella. You can do anything Sting or Auel can do. Just remember, the more people you kill, the more you kill yourself." Neo told Stella._

Stella narrowed her eyes, preparing herself. "Yes."

# # #

Lacus had her hand on her heart as Savior was loaded to launch. 'I'll protect you, Kira. We'll protect each other.'

"Lacus Clyne, Savior, Launching."

# # #

Sebastian drew a katana and shot past a Gouf, slashing off its arm as he went. He blocked a beam rifle blast with his shield.

"I'll show you how good I've gotten at this." Sebastian said, grinning. A pair of Goufs fired their 'Draupnir' beam guns at him, the blasts popping on his armor, dodging through machine gun fire. He dodged a beam cannon blast and turned to see a BABI mobile suit flying at him. He raised a beam mirror armored katana. The BABI fired its beam cannon again. Sebastian slashed at it with his katana, reflecting the boomerang-shaped wave of beam energy that slashed off the BABI's legs. Sebastian turned to the remaining Goufs.

"Let's try this again." He swung the katana, and the tsuba-mounted beam gun fired, reflecting off the blade, forming another boomerang-shaped blast, slicing off both Goufs' legs off in one blast.

# # #

A pair of ASH mobile suits surfaced to face the repaired Forbidden, its beam scythe blazing. Forbidden slashed through both suits, then they exploded, casting Forbidden's shadow over the hundreds of other amphibious mobile suits.

# # #

Kira flew into a group of Goufs, firing to either side, blasting off two suits' heads, then blocked a flight of missiles with his beam shields, disabled the BABI that had fired them, then boosted for Onogoro.

The Zangetsu, Gekka, and Soryu stood on the beach, cutting apart Zakus as they came in, beam rifle fire bouncing off their armor harmlessly.

# # #

Athrun was panting inside his pilot suit, sweat running down his face.

_'Come on, Athrun! Pull yourself together.'_

# # #

'The Destiny's repaired! You're all green!' Yolant informed.

"Finally." Shinn grunted. Destiny, beam rifle and shield in hand, lowered into Launch position. "Shinn Asuka. Destiny, Heading out."

# # #

Lacus flew her Savior at a Gouf Ignited, drawing a beam saber. The Gouf blocked the attack with its own beam sword. The Gouf knocked Lacus away with its Tempest sword, then whipped its heat rod at Savior. Lacus folded her beam cannons at the whip and fired, destroying the weapon. A warning sound caught her attention, and she saw a pair of Dragoon pods fire twenty missiles at her. Lacus spun and transformed, boosting away.

# # #

Flash!

Kira looked up and felt a barrage of beams fly at him. He turned, activating a beam shield, blocking seven beam shots. He saw Legend draw a beam saber from its backpack and boost towards him. Kira threw away his Lupus Augustus beam rifles and drew both Super Lacerta beam sabers, boosting at Legend.

# # #

Cagalli stepped into the darkened hangar, followed by Kisaka and Erica Simmons. The hangar lit up, suddenly, revealing the golden suit. Light reflected off the mobile suit so much it almost hurt Cagalli's eyes.

'My darling daughter...' came Uzumi's deep voice, 'this is my last gift to you. A sword to protect Orb in its greatest time of need. The Akatsuki.'

# # #

**Short, I know, and it may be on the crappy side, but I'm writing with Word Pad here. Hopefully Chapter 30 will be a little better, since I SHOULD have Open Office by then.**

**Still, better than nothing, huh?**


	31. The Golden Dawn

Phase 30: the Golden Dawn

'My daughter...I could not teach you all you would need to know to protect Orb as well as I could, but I left you with people who could. I wish for nothing else but to see you happy, Cagalli. But when you are in need of a sword to protect Orb, the Akatsuki is yours. And take care of Athrun, Cagalli. If you are hearing this, he is more alone than you could ever imagine. Trust in the Seed, Cagalli.'

Cagalli's eyes teared up, and she looked up at the golden mobile suit.

'I am always with you, Cagalli. In your heart.' Uzumi finished.

# # #

Clotho fired his 'Zorn' beam cannon, dragging the beam across the beach, followed by a large wall of fire between Zaft's amphibious mobile suits and Orb. Calamity and Raider landed beside Forbidden on the Zaft side of the flame. Forbidden and Raider charged, brandishing their close combat weaponry, while Calamity covered them with its ranged weapons.

# # #

Athrun stabbed a Zaku in leg with his carry shield-mounted beam blade, then fired his beam rifle, disabling another two mobile suits. Athrun turned and boosted for Onogoro. He winced, eyes going wide, gripping his side. He looked to see his pilot suit dark with blood. He gagged, and blood emerged from the corners of his mouth.

'Athrun? You okay?' Kira asked.

"I'm fine! Concentrate on the battle!!" Athrun shouted, then coughed and opened his visor, spitting out the blood. He looked back up, panting.

# # #

Shinn gritted his teeth as Destiny was lowered onto the launch catapult.

'Go Ahead, Destiny!'

"Shinn Asuka, Destiny, Launching!!"

# # #

"Shani, Clotho, Orga! There's a drop pod coming down with your new suits in it!!" Kira cried. "I'll cover for you in Freedom!!" Kira took a deep breath closing his eyes. He focused on the bio-sensor. He eyes suddenly opened, glowing purple. Strike Freedom's entire armor went white, its wings opening, angelic wings of light forming. The air around it became static, sparking miniature lightning about the suit. Kira was panting inside of Strike Freedom. He diverted all power to his single beam cannon.

"Get out of my line of fire! NOW!! I CAN'T HOLD IT FOR LONG!!" Kira gritted his teeth as Orb's armed forces fell back. He squeezed his eyes shut, groaning against an invisible force.

"Fire, Kira! fire!" Athrun called. Kira let go. The beam cannon emitted a tapering beam that covered the whole of Onogoro.

# # #

Destiny was knocked backwards from a max speed flight as the shock wave hit it. Shinn righted Destiny and looked to see a shining blue light coming from Onogoro.

# # #

Darkness was creeping from the far reaches of Kira's vision. He'd used up all of his own power, AND Strike Freedom's, in that last blast. Kira lowered his head, eyes narrowing, verging on unconscious.

[Flash] Kira looked up, eyes widening. He dodged Destiny's sword strike, drawing both beam sabers. Strike Freedom blocked Destiny's next attack, and its battery meter began beeping. Kira looked at the meter, then back as Destiny, just as Strike Freedom's phase shift armor went dead. He boosted away. Destiny tried to follow, when it was jerked back by its neck. Gold Frame deactivated its Mirage Colloid, its backpack claws wrapped around Destiny's neck.

# # #

Shinn gritted his teeth and fired his booster, right in Gold Frame Amatu's face, knocking the suit off.

# # #

Cagalli launched, flying away from Onogoro, the Akatsuki's armor gleaming.

# # #

Destiny slashed at the Strike Freedom. A pink lance of energy came between the Strike Freedom's 'Super Lacerta' beam saber and Destiny's 'Arodight' Anti-ship sword. Shinn blinked and looked at the golden mobile suit.

'Back off.' Cagalli said. The golden mobile suit knocked away Destiny and charged, wielding its beam naginata at Destiny's chest.

"You Natural Whore! Do me a Favor, AND STAY DEAD!!" Shinn shouted, just as he threw a beam boomerang, severing, the Akatsuki's weapon arm. He threw another, both coming at Cagalli's suit from different angles.

Strike Freedom suddenly fired its twin railguns, destroying both Beam boomerangs. Shinn looked up to Strike Freedom and readied its blade, opening its wings of light, and lunged. He swung. Strike Freedom slashed. When Shinn opened his eyes, Strike Freedom was not there. Destiny's hands let go of the Arodight sword, and Shinn looked in time to see the sword split into two, cut clean right down the middle.

# # #

Destiny exploded, its armor going black, its eyes turning red. It leveled its Beam cannon at Freedom and fired, unleashing a red and black blast from its Strike Freedom. Freedom dodged, and the beam cannon struck the water and the blast formed a ball of energy large enough to emcompass a whole ship, then the ball exploded.

Kira's eyes widened. Destiny aimed its beam cannon directly at Strike Freedom. He couldn't dodge at this range.

# # #

Stella slashed a Gouf's sword arm off, then turned to Destiny. She boosted towards Destiny.

"Kira!!!" she screamed. Destiny stopped mid-strike, its armor reverting its blue and white.

# # #

"Shinn!" Rey called, "return to the Minerva, you need to resupply and recharge!"

# # #

Haine flipped switches on his Gouf Ignited, powering up the close combat mobile suit. He throttled up on the thrusters and shot forward from the launch catapult, opening the Gouf's wings.

# # #

Kira panted, eyes narrowing, then closing, finally passing from consciousness. Strike Freedom's wings closed, and the white suit abruptly fell. Savior and the Akatsuki caught the suit, setting it down gently. A trio of Zakus charged, beam tomahawks in hand.

Teal Forbidden landed in front of the Akatsuki and Savior, and swung its double-bladed scythe over its head. It jumped forward, swinging its scythe, cutting off a Zaku's legs out from under it.

# # #

A trio of Babi's fired at Ebon Raider. Clotho just dodged and twisted through the fire until he was right in the middle of the trio and spun, releasing both his 'Mjolnir' and 'Harkonnen.'

# # #

A pair of Gunner Zaku Warriors landed near a building. A pair of beam cannon blasts emerged from inside, and exploded. The Gunner Zakus turned to see a blue mobile suit walking out of the blast, and the suit fired back with its triple 'Scylla' cannons. The two Zakus took direct hits and exploded.

# # #

Cagalli looked towards the Orb Capital.

"Athrun! I need to stop Yuna, before he makes a mistake and gets Orb destroyed."

# # #

Athrun cut off a Gouf's arm. "Go! I'll hold them back!" He dodged a volley of beam fire and looked up to see Haine's Gouf Ignited. Athrun gritted his teeth. "What are you doing here, Haine?"

# # #

"I've always wanted to fight you like this." Haine admitted. He drew his 'Tempest' beam sword and charged, slashing. Athrun dodged sideways, firing his beam rifle. Haine let go of his shield and whipped a heat rod around Justice's beam rifle. The heat rod gave off some sparks, and Justice let go of its beam rifle and shielded itself just as it exploded. Athrun aimed Justice's shield at Haine's Gouf and fired the 'Scorpion' rocket anchor, slamming Haine's Gouf into a building.

# # #

"Haine! Stop this! This isn't just about you and me anymore! It's about Orb and Zaft and the Earth Forces! If Zaft continues to attack Orb, imagine how many people will get hurt!"

# # #

"So that's why Orb is harboring Djibril?!" Haine asked angrily. He whipped a heat rod at Justice, catching Justice's sword arm.

# # #

Athrun gritted his teeth and activated his 'Shining Edge' beam boomerang, and cut the heat rod off his arm, then drew a beam saber. "Haine, if you don't stop this, I'll have to destroy you."

# # #

"Stop holding back!!" Haine shouted. Athrun growled and connected his beam sabers, then boosted at Haine. He slashed out, and severed he Gouf's sword arm. Haine spun, firing his 'Draupnir' beam gun. Athrun spun around and detached his sub-light lifter, and flew it straight at Haine's Gouf, its Griffin beam blades activating. Haine drew in a breath before the lifter's wing cut the Gouf in half, right before it exploded.

# # #

Athrun stopped dead. He landed Justice next to the spot where Haine's Gouf had been and lowered his head.

# # #

Neo looked over his shoulder. The Archangel looked in a pretty bad way. And that Murrue woman.

_'I'm coming right back...with Victory in hand.'_ Despite himself, a single tear escaped Neo's eye.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come back." he said without knowing it. _No. _He wasn't going away again. He banked the Skygrasper and boosted for the Archangel.

# # #

"Focus on the Mobile suits! Only attack the ships if they start attacking Onogoro!"

"Incoming mobile suits and aircraft." Mirillia reported. Murrue's eyes widened as a BABI aimed its beam rifle at the bridge. A beam cannon blast destroyed the rifle, and a blue and white blur shot by the bridge.

'Yeeeeeehaw! I forgot how fun this was!!' Murrue sat up in her seat.

"Neo?"

'That's Captain Neo, Ms. Murrue.'

"Ma'am! The Minerva's moving forward! It's painting us with the Tanhauser!" Neumann reported.

"Prepare to submerge! Neo, anything you could do about that Tanhauser would be appreciated right now!!"

# # #

"Already on it!" Neo and Andrew flew at the Tanhauser from each side, and both fired their beam cannons and veered off. The Tanhauser emitted a small laser of light, before exploding.

_(Start playing INVOKE right about here, It's great. Kinda captures Neo's kiddiness. No, that's not a word.)_

# # #

"Target the fighter with our CIWS! Shoot it down!"

# # #

Neo weaved the Skygrasper through the CIWS fire, laughing.

# # #

"Shinn Asuka, Destiny, launching!" Destiny launched.

# # #

Rey za Burrel, Legend, Launching!!"

# # #

"Lunamaria Hawke, Core Splendor, I'm heading out."

# # #

"Mayu Asuka, Chaos, I'm launching."

# # #

**Well, this wasn't a bad comeback chapter. Sorry about the long wait. Apparently, my computer teacher has no sense of Urgency. Well, when he's lying on his death bed, let's hope he didn't have anything he needed to do, because he probably won't get around with it, lazy as he is. And gagboy, I'm considering hooking them up. **

**Well, I'm not sure who I want to fight the dynamic duo (I'm talking Shinn and Rey) since Kira's out (hmm...literally,) and Athrun's no good without his wingman. I think the Druggies'll get a chance to face off against Shinn and Rey. But Calamity no longer has quad railguns. Instead I gave it three 'Scylla' beam cannons and two six-barreled beam guns, plus its quad backpack-mounted beam cannons. I'm internally debating whether I should have Destiny destroy Forbidden's scythe so it can use a anti-ship sword instead. Or two.**

**So to questions:**

**How come nobody reviewed the last chapter!! Was it that bad?? Come on, give me a hint here!!! (1)**

**Should I get in the Dom Troopers? (2)**

**Please review. Thanks to those of you who will. Go to hell to those who don't. Shorry.**


	32. Djibril's Escape

_I changed Teal Forbidden's name to Gruen Forbidden._

Phase 31: Djibril's Escape

Shinn drew his 'Arodight' anti-ship sword as he approached Onogoro, slicing through Murasames. He turned to the island fortress and set his radio to the emergency channel.

"Kira!! Where are you?! We're not finished yet!!" he shouted.

'You're dealing with me now!' Athrun called, and Shinn looked to see Infinite Justice riding up to him on its sub-light lifter. Shinn narrowed his eyes.

"No problem." Shinn swung his sword out to one side, held at the ready with both hands, and charged.

# # #

Athrun crouched Justice and ignited the Sub-light lifter's many beam blades, the twin beam cannons forming a single horn-like beam blade. He flipped then, firing his mobile suit's booster, and launched the lifter forward, spinning once it cleared Athrun's suit, straight at Destiny. Destiny opened its wings of light and flew over the blades, twisting, bringing its Arodight down on Justice. Athrun knocked away the blade. Then Destiny did the most unexpected thing. It punched Justice in the face, sending both suits falling towards the ocean, locked in a fist fight. Athrun fired his CIWS, then a jolt of agony went through him and he gripped his stomach. He moved his hand back to the controls.

Destiny opened its wings and kicked off of Justice, which went plummeting into the water. Athrun tried to fire the thrusters of his sub-light lifter, but not soon enough to prevent crashing into the ocean. Shinn unfolded his beam cannon and fired directly at the water, causing an explosion which lit up the battlefield.

# # #

"Come on. We both know that blast wasn't enough to destroy you." Shinn sneered, looking down at the water. Nothing happened. Shinn grinned and chuckled to himself.

# # #

Athrun opened his eyes at Shinn's laughter.

'Well, I guess the Crimson Knight's not so tough after all. Oh, well. Just goes to show you you can't expect much of _Orb_.'

# # #

"I guess Uzumi Nara Attha just couldn't get the best of the best. Guess he really was just a weakling." Shinn looked down. A dome of water emerged, then Justice came out, every beam blade on it blazing. It twisted, slashing out with its beam saber. Shinn blocked with his sword. The saber attack knocked the sword away, then came the beam boomerang on Justice's shield, which knocked away Shinn's beam shielded arm, opening up the head for the kick that sent Destiny flying end over end.

Shinn righted Destiny and flew at Justice, lunging out with his hand, palm out. Justice caught the arm with its hand, then kneed Destiny in the gut three times, jerking Shinn around in the cockpit, then threw Destiny by the arm and followed it with its beam lance activated.

'Shinn!' Rey called. Shinn looked to see the Arodight coming at him hilt first. He caught it and swung, blocking Justice's attack.

# # #

"Just stay focused, Shinn. Don't let him beat you up like a punk."

# # #

Shinn gritted his teeth. "Stop giving me advice! I can handle him!!"

# # #

Athrun's face remained casual. "Where's your fancy tactics, Shinn?"

# # #

Shinn perked up. "What?!"

# # #

"On Armory 1 I was ready to call you a mobile suit genius. Where's all those moves now? It's because you let your anger control you. That's why I'll always be able to beat you." Athrun spun, heel kicking Destiny into the ground.

# # #

Shinn pulled Destiny to its feet. "Shut up! You don't understand anything! I'm trying to create a better world!"

# # #

Lacus dodged a shot from one of Chaos's Dragoon pods, firing her beam rifle at it. The Impulse charged, beam saber in hand, when a massive purple suit landed between the Impulse and Savior, carrying a large bazooka. The suit fired. A pair of suits just like the first landed behind Savior, blocking Chaos's attack with their beam shields.

'Are you alright, Miss Lacus?'

"I am now, Miss Harken. Shall we?" Lacus said, smiling.

'Yes, ma'am.'

# # #

"If you're trying to create a better world, join me!! Help me save our world from Durandal's destruction!!" Athrun shouted. Destiny and Justice locked blades.

# # #

Shinn huffed. "Better to be destroyed then a traitor like you." he grumbled. He knocked Justice aside. "I am Justice!!!"

# # #

Lacus lowered the conscious Kira into bed. Kira looked half asleep, eyes closed, barely opening them.

# # #

_'You're delusional, boy.'_ Rau said. Shinn froze, terrified. _'No one is justice! And Nobody deserves to be!! Get used to it!!'_

# # #

Yuna was ducking under a console when Cagalli walked in. He stood up and jabbed a finger in her direction.

"Lock her up!!" Sebastian, who walked right beside Cagalli, ducked and drew Fenris in a flash, severing Yuna's finger from his hand, then grabbed the smaller man by the hem of his coat and pressed him against the wall, Fenris to his throat.

"You should be grateful I don't have him execute you. I'm not a tyrant. Take him to the brig. I'm taking over rule of Orb. Got a problem with that?"

"Please say yes." Sebastian asked.

# # #

Shinn spun, throwing both beam boomerangs at Justice. Justice knocked away one with its shield, then flipped, kicking the other away, then threw its own beam boomerang at Destiny. Shinn drew his anti-ship sword and charged, stabbing. Justice rose over the strike.

'Missed.' Athrun called, before flying upside down and firing his beam cannons at Destiny's back.

Shinn spun and cut both blasts apart with his sword.

"Shinn!!" Rey called.

# # #

Athrun turned to see Legend firing its Dragoons at him. He fired his boosters, trying to dodge. Strike Freedom stopped the volley with its shields, beam rifles in hand.

"Kira! What are you doing!"

# # #

Kira grinned. "Helping you, of course!!"

# # #

Rey gritted his teeth and drew a beam saber, charging. Freedom opened its railguns and fired, knocking Rey backwards, before it set its beam rifles on its hips and drew its beam sabers.

# # #

Djibril stepped onto the shuttle. He immediately found a seat and sat down, strapping himself in.

"Take off." The shuttle emerged from the launch area, blazing down the mass driver.

# # #

Cagalli's attention was drawn by a warning. The video feed showed a shuttle going down the Mass Drivers, engines at full power. She quickly ran to a radio console and pressed the talk button.

"Kira! Athrun! A shuttle's going down the mass driver! You've gotta stop it!"

# # #

Kira locked beam sabers with Rey, kicking the suit away.

"I'm a little busy at the moment!!"

# # #

Alex dispatched a pair of BABIs and turned to the mass driver.

"Sebastian! Come with me! Samorei, cover us!" The Zangetsu and Soryu flew for the Mass Driver, followed by the Gekka, which fired its beam cannon to dissuade pursuers, before chasing after the faster suits. Alex and Sebastian fired their beam rifles at the shuttle. A pair of black Windams launched from the shuttle, firing back.

Sebastian threw away his shield and beam rifle, drawing both 'Kagami Zangetsu' katanas, and sliced through both suits, then ducked as Alex fired his rifle and shield-mounted beam guns. The beams still fell short. Samorei threw both beam boomerangs, which struck the side of the mass driver and exploded.

Sebastian finally threw one of his katanas, stabbing it into the engine, which exploded. The shuttle began to slow down, but not enough. With a final gout of flame, the shuttle lifted off the ramp.

# # #

Stella spun as the Dragoon pods circles about her. She turned to Chaos itself, who was in Mobile Armor mode, and raised her shield to block the beam cannon blast. Chaos transformed and drew a beam saber, charging. Gruen Forbidden dropped between the two, swinging its beam scythe. Chaos dodged backwards, then charged again. Forbidden swung the back end of the other scythe into Chaos's side, knocking it away. Chaos's dragoon pods both opened, unleashing a spew of missiles at Forbidden.

Forbidden's backpack swung over its head, switching Gruen Forbidden to Knightmare mode, and raised its beam shields, absorbing the missile attack. Forbidden broke its scythes apart and stowed them on its backpack, and pulled both shields onto either arm, a pair of beam claws emerging from their ends.(Think Hulk with a pair of metal boxing gloves with blades on the end.) Forbidden jumped and slammed its shield-armored fist down. Chaos rolled. Forbidden's fist hit the ground and fired the impact beam cannon. Forbidden turned and punched Chaos, which blocked. The beam cannon fired, destroying Chaos's shield.

# # #

Mayu cried out. "Shinn! Help me!"

# # #

Rey looked over his shoulder. "Mayu!" he turned from Freedom and boosted towards Chaos. He aimed his Dragoons at Forbidden and fired. Gruen Forbidden raised its shields and blocked the attack. It replaced the shields on its backpack drew its twin 'Hades' beam scythes, both as long as Forbidden's original scythe.

# # #

Shani retreated as Legend came in, swinging both beam sabers, and counterattacked with a swing from his right scythe. Legend dodged backward and prepared to fire its Dragoons again. Shani combined his scythes and swung the combined scythe over Forbidden's head, before he threw it like a beam boomerang. Legend dodged, then came back into firing line with Forbidden, just as the combined scythe came back.

The scythe cut off both of Legend's legs. Forbidden spun and caught the scythe, then fired its twin 'Sleipnir' railguns at Legend, knocking the suit backward into the sky, where it was caught by a BABI and carried away, followed by Chaos and its Dragoon pods. Shani pressed the sedative release on his arm and took several large breaths.

# # #

The Minerva fired three signal flares, the retreat signal. Shinn locked swords with Freedom, then looked over his shoulder at the signal and gritted his teeth. He broke away from Freedom and opened his wings of light, flying for the Minerva.

# # #

Athrun, panting, closed his eyes, and suddenly felt sleepy and forced his eyes open again. His breathing slowed, and he passed out. Justice dropped its arms and fell.

# # #

Kira sheathed his beam sabers, opening Strike Freedom's wings, and followed Justice, catching it on the way down.

# # #

Kisaka approached Cagalli, who was rubbing her belly absentmindedly, and saluted. Cagalli stood and faced Kisaka.

"The ZAFT ships are turning around."

"Thank you, Commander." Cagalli said. Kisaka saluted and turned around. "Kisaka..." He turned, "don't let the press know I'm pregnant. Right now it's not the best thing for Orb to have a pregnant representative." Kisaka faced Cagalli.

"Who's the father? If I may ask...."

"You know you can. And the father is Athrun. That reminds, we need to have Kira and Athrun appear as legit Orb Cos. I want Kira as an Admiral, Athrun a Colonel."

"I'll have it taken care of." Kisaka promised.

# # #

Meyrin turned as Athrun was wheeled into the infirmary, his pilot suit red. It took a moment for Meyrin to realize the red was blood. Malchio pulled off the pilot suit and felt the wound. He pulled out a roll of thread and a needle, threading the needle by touch. He quickly sterilized the needle and started to work. Lacus and Kira pulled Meyrin out. Kira turned around and was instantly hugged by Orga and Clotho.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" they chorused. Kira looked from one extended to another.

"Huh...you're welcome." Kira said.

"Aqua Calamity is amazing!" Orga said. "The beam cannons are amazing, and-"

Kira sighed, annoyed, followed by Lacus's giggle.

# # #

Shani turned from Gruen Forbidden to see Stella standing behind him. He turned, his helmet at his side, to look at Stella.

"Yeah?" Shani asked in his smoky voice.

"Thanks for blocking Chaos." Stella said.

Shani looked ahead again. "Don't mention it."

Stella smiled. "Stella." Shani looked at Stella, wide eyed. He blinked.

"Shani." Canard watched from Dreadnought H's chest, smiling.

# # #

Cagalli entered the now dark infirmary, dressed in a maroon suit and white button down shirt. She took off Athrun's engagement ring and set it in Athrun's open hand. She started to walk out.

"Please don't go." Athrun murmured. She turned around to see Athrun awake. She walked up to Athrun, who grabbed her hand. She held it, with both hands.

"I have to." she whispered. Athrun's eyes teared up.

"No." he groaned. "You don't have to go. We can make it work, Cagalli. I need you, Cagalli. I need somebody to cry with. Please...stay for me. Stay with me." Cagalli closed her eyes, frustrated, then sat down beside Athrun and leaned close.

"When my father died...one thing kept me from becoming like Shinn is now. You. We both needed a shoulder to cry on. We could protect each other. And we still can."

Cagalli looked down. "Orb needs me. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

Athrun nodded. "Yeah, they do, but-"

"Then why are we having this conversation? As long as this war is being fought, I can't be involved with you. I have to distance myself from you."

"Then when the war is over, we can be together again." Cagalli sighed. "Just stay with me tonight. Please?" Cagalli sighed and put her legs on the bed, and laid her head on Athrun's chest.

# # #

Mayu turned as Shinn entered her quarters.

"Don't ask for my help again. I'm not gonna come save you when you can't handle your enemy." Mayu retreated from Shinn.

"But dad told you to take care of me..." Shinn's eyes went wide in anger.

"I'm not your mother!! Don't bother me!" he quickly turned and left. Mayu sat down and started sobbing, tears welling up.

# # #

**oh, thank god!! I was worried the battle for Orb would drvie me crazy. Or has it? Now go play some disgustingly happy ending theme and stop bothering me about updates. IF YOU REVIEW IT, THEY WILL COME!! (I'm sure that 80 percent of that line came from Field of Dreams. And to Kevin Costner I say: DANCES WITH WOLVES WAS BETTER!!) …Yep, the Battle for Orb did drive me crazy. And I'm surprised nobody noticed the Destiny-Strike Freedom fight last chapter was a rewrite of the Gawain-Lancelot Albion fight in Code Geass. Oh, well. I recommend watching that episode on Youtube. On a side note, I'm fairly sure Lancelot was related to Vlad the Impaler, with _that_ name. (ya get it? Lance-a-lot? LOL!)**

**Oh, and before I forget, (good song) please don't be alarmed if I take longer than usual to update this fic. I've got a loving girlfriend and fiancé, (that's right, I'm dating two women at the same time. Kidding. I'd be a freakin' hypocrite,) and this fic does not take priority until I can make seven digits a year writing this. Which I won't. Oh, and Infinite Freedom, if you give sex tips, I'm blocking you. Just being safe. Sorry for disturbing everybody. Enjoy the Nightmares.**

**So, here's to the questions:**

**1) How was Forbidden's freakin' scythe throw, huh?!**

**2) Where the fuck is Mina? I'm looking for her, but I can find her anywhere in this battle! I've suddenly decided I have too many characters.**

**3) If somebody was gonna stay behind in Orb, besides Cagalli, who would it be? I need to get of like, four characters for the time being. I'm not planning on killing them.**


	33. One Last Flight Into the Dawn

Phase 32: One Last Flight into the Dawn

Shinn watched as the new Arodight was lowered onto Destiny. Yolant stood next to him with a pad, supervising the resupply.

"This new Arodight is amazing. It can use a Mirage Colloid blade to cut through beam shields and beam blasts, and can extend your sword's reach three times." Yolant explained.

# # #

The Archangel and Izumo sat side-by-side, readying for launch.

# # #

Murrue entered the observation lounge and immediately noticed Mu...no, Neo, and blinked in surprise. She regained her composure and walked up beside him, following his eyes.

"I'm..." Neo started, drawing Murrue's attention, "sure who I am. But this place, this ship, it helps. Whenever I've felt these...memories come back, there's always been pain. Here there wasn't. Maybe it had something to do with..." Neo paused to look right at Murrue, "missing you."

"Mu, Neo, you can stay if you want. I-" she was interrupted by Neo suddenly embracing her, burying his shin into her shoulder.

"Thanks." Neo said.

_The Strike was damaged. He'd lost his beam rifle, a leg, and part of his Aile pack. Rau's new machine was just too fast._

"_Damn that new machine of le Cruset's!" he panted, "I'll get him next time!" Mu could've sworn he saw Murrue grin knowingly._

_'You can tell me about it later! Mechanics! Set up the emergency landing net!'_

_Mu chuckled. "Thanks."_

Neo smiled. _'Bit by bit, Neo.' _The ghost said. _'Bit by bit.'_

_# # #_

Athrun swung, his beam saber moving for the Murasame's head. Kira blocked with his own beam saber, then knocked away Athrun's Murasame with his shield. Kira charged with his beam saber in hand, spinning.

# # #

Forbidden jumped at Raider and spun, its beam shields turning it into a spinning comet, its beam scythe blades forming a pink halo around it. Clotho dodged and launched his beam boomerang at Forbidden. Shani blocked the attack and fired his beam cannon at Raider, which Clotho blocked with his beam shield.

# # #

The Archangel and Izumo were finally prepped for launch. Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice stood nearby, Kira, Athrun, and Cagalli at their feet. Kira and Cagalli hugged, before Kira kissed her forehead and started for Strike Freedom, rising up the zip line.

Athrun watched him go, then turned to Cagalli. He drew a deep breath, preparing himself to say something hard for him to say.

"We'll be here when you come back." Cagalli interrupted. Athrun looked up, surprised.

"'We?'" Athrun asked.

Cagalli smiled and rubbed her slightly-protruding belly. "Yeah, we." Athrun smiled. He was stunned when Cagalli threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. He kissed her back with just as much passion. Athrun felt a pang of regret when he finally had to let go of Cagalli and get into Infinite Justice.

# # #

Infinite Justice and Strike Freedom launched. Strike Freedom's armor blazed a shining white, Infinite Justice's armor burned red. The two bio-monitor-enhanced suits opened their wings and disappeared in a flash of engine exhaust. Cagalli stared at the spot they'd flown too, her hair waving in the wind.

# # #

Shinn looked out the window. He'd never thought he'd go back into space. At least, not before the war was over. Oh, well. Shinn would be that much faster in space, and after all, he was the one who'd destroyed Freedom, and the Destroy, and Heaven's Base. In space, nothing would stop him.

# # #

DaCosta saluted as Waltfeld and Meyrin stepped onto the bridge of the Eternal. Waltfeld smiled and saluted back. DaCosta lowered his arm.

"Good to have you back, Commander." DaCosta said.

"Good to be back, DaCosta. And I brought a new CIC officer." Andrew looked over his shoulder at Meyrin.

# # #

Kira and Lacus led the blindfolded Stella next to Gaia and undid the handkerchief over her eyes. Stella looked up at Gaia, eyes wide. Then she thought of Auel and looked down, saddened.

"Thank you, Kira." Stella said, smiling, then looked back down, eyes narrowed.

"Stella, what's wrong?" Kira asked.

Stella paused. "I...I miss Neo. And Auel. And Sting."

Kira blinked. "Neo? I can help you find Neo."

# # #

Neo turned as the door opened. Stella walked into his quarters and saw him, but didn't recognize him. He couldn't blame her. The Mask made him look different.

"Stella?" Stella's eyes widened.

"Neo?" She jumped at him, wrapping her arms around him. Neo smiled down at Stella.

"How ya doin', kiddo?"

Stella smiled up at Neo. "I've got a sister and brothers now! It's...kinda cool!" Neo chuckled.

# # #

Watching the scene, Rau couldn't help but think of Rey. A twinge of guilt passed through his non-existent being at the thought of what was arguably his baby brother. With a thought, Rau was in Rey's quarters, watching the boy read a novel whilst Mayu Asuka sat nearby, in her nightgown. Rey paused and looked at Rau's invisible form.

"Brother? Are you there?" Rau said nothing. Rey shook his head and rubbed sleep from his eyes. Mayu sat down beside Rey.

"Are you okay, Rey?"

Rey looked from her to Rau. He looked back to her.

"Uh...yeah. Yeah, I'm okay." Rau took that as a sign to disappear.

# # #

Sebastian, Alex, and Samorei stood in the Mess of the Izumo. All three looked up when Yzak, Shiho, and Dearka entered the mess. Samorei got up and hugged Yzak, who hugged back, smiling. Alex nodded, smiling as wide as anyone had ever seen him do, (Cagalli included,) and Sebastian shook hands with Shiho and Dearka.

"How's my baby brother?" Samorei asked. Yzak's smile turned into a homicidal frown.

"I am NOT a baby. And I'm fine. Mother wants you to call her more often." Samorei frowned in a way that made Yzak seem positively happy.

"I'm not talking to that vampire any more than I have to." Samorei was not on the best terms with Ezalia since their dispute about Mina. Alex sighed.

"You should probably tell her that Samorei's not even going to call this Christmas. I'll visit her with you later. I want to see Cassandra. Haven't talked with her in a while."

Sebastian winced. "So what are you doing here?" he asked.

Yzak turned to him. "We've been sent to check out an unusual energy reading near the moon. Still well on Zaft's side, but it's not too far from Daedalus. I'll be careful." he said the last sentence before Samorei or Alex could advise him to be careful. "We decided to stop by. Plus, Dearka wanted to visit his girlfriend."

Alex gawked. "Mirillia?! You two are back on?!"

Dearka frowned. "Bite me."

# # #

Mirillia turned as the door opened. Dearka walked into the room and saw Mirillia had no shirt on and quickly turned around.

"Uh..." Dearka said, "How's it...uh...going?" Mirillia quickly pulled her shirt on and buttoned it.

"Hey." Dearka turned around again.

"Sorry I walked in on ya. I was just stopping by to say hello before the Voltaire and Rousseau got under...well, Okay. See ya." He started out the door, embarrassed.

"Hey!" Mirillia called. "Wait up!" Dearka stuck his head back in. "Aren't you gonna kiss me goodbye?"

"Who are you and what have you done with Mirillia?!" Dearka asked. Mirillia grabbed Dearka's collar and tugged him closer. Dearka wrapped his arms around Mirillia and leaned down. Mirillia stood on her tiptoes, her lips meeting his. (As a person who gets a little uncomfortable writing lemon, I don't like where this is going...)

When they broke apart, the only thing Dearka could say was...

"Wow." For what seemed like minutes they just stood there until Yzak coughed into his fist, alerting the couple to his presence. "How long have you been standing there?" Dearka asked.

"Long enough to have nightmares the rest of my life." Yzak replied, then walked away. Dearka let go, and started to walk away when they saw Mirilla's sleeve had caught on Dearka's collar.

# # #

Yzak did a double take when Dearka stepped onto the shuttle with only an undershirt on his chest, smiling. Dearka gave Yzak and Shiho both a glance, then looked forward again, still smiling.

# # #

Kira was twisting and turning in his sleep, mumbling.

_He looked away from Providence for a second to see a shuttle. He recognized the pink hair in the window. He boosted Freedom towards the shuttle._

_Everything evolved. Providence became Legend, Freedom became Strike Freedom. _

_Legend aimed its rifle at the shuttle. He fired. Kira screamed, blocking the shot with his beam shield. He deactivated the shield and saw Lacus staring at him through the window. _

_'No.' Kira tried to say, but no sound came out. He looked around for any Dragoons. One flew in just above the small escape craft. Kira raised a beam rifle, trying to stop the mobile weapon. Too late. The pod fired. The lance of green luminescence passed through the craft's body. Kira looked down to see Lacus wrapped in flame, right before the craft carrying her exploded._

_When Kira turned to face Legend, he was in the Aile Strike, weaponless, one leg missing. Exactly how it had been right before Mu died. Legend raised its rifle yet again and fired. Kira screamed Lacus's name as the green beam cut through his chest, killing him._

Kira awoke with a scream, sitting up, eyes wide, heart going a hundred beats a second. Lacus sat, gripping his shoulder. Kira looked at her and wrapped her in his arms, desperate to keep her with him.

"It's okay, Kira." Lacus soothed. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

# # #

Rey entered Via's quarters. Via looked up and turned to face him.

"Ma'am." Rey said, saluting quickly. "I'd like to know a way to slow my aging back to normal."

# # #

**Well, we touched a few characters we haven't seen since...what, ten chapters ago? Sorry it took so long, I wasn't sure where I wanted to go this chapter. But I eventually just went with getting the Three Ships Alliance back up, (although this time there's a lot more than three ships, LOL) Sadly, the Dom Trooper trio got no screen time again, and I'm sad we can't get through the main characters to get to them. (Even thought I haven't got much for them.) The Druggies were pretty much left out, but they're still aboard the Archangel. And yes, The Dom Trooper is the main mobile suit of the Clyne Faction. It seemed like a decent idea, so I went with it.**

**No idea what to ask today.**

**1) Anybody want Shani to punch Rey in the head later in the story, Inuyasha-style?**

**2) Anybody gonna laugh at said head punchings?**

**3) If Orga were to grope somebody, who would it be? (Anybody name's a guy and they're getting blocked and reported for abuse. Sorry, I'm a homophobe. I don't mind if you're gay, especially you ladies...er...I mean...nothing! just don't get me involved.)**

**4) Are you happy?**


	34. Chapter 34

**Gundam SEED Destiny: Legend's Providence**

_I'm trying to stay focused on GSD. I saw some Gundam 00 videos on Youtube, and I must say...EXIA IS FUCKIN' AWESOME!! Not as cool as the Throne Gundam with the large sword, but still cool. If I am successful in acquiring some Gundam 00 DVDs I may also do some work on that. Until then, Hell if I know._

_Since I just rewrote this, and you guys can't review, PM your questions and comments to me. And here is a wallpaper made by a friend for you guys for being patient enough to wait for this chapter. .com/art/Strike-Freedom-vs-Strike-Noir-128934367_

Phase 33: Requiem

Djibril stepped onto the cavernous control center.

"Gentlemen, are we prepared to fire?" Djibril asked.

"Requiem is activated and charged. All control stations report in."

"Excellent. Target: Aprilius One."

# # #

Yzak and Dearka stared at the cylindrical station.

"What the hell is that thing?" Yzak asked.

"Whatever it is, they've got a lot of Windams guarding it." Dearka commented.

"Sir, we're detecting a power rise. It looks like defensive systems."

"Let's get out there. Maybe we can prevent it from attacking the ships." Yzak and Dearka left the bridge. Mobile suits began launching from the twin Nazca-class Destroyers.

# # #

Yzak destroyed a trio of thruster ports with a burst from his 'Draupnir' beam gun, then spun and sliced off a Windam's legs. Dearka covered Yzak, disabling Windams with single shots from his Zaku Phantom's beam assault rifle.

# # #

"Fire." Djibril ordered. A laser lanced from the Moon's surface and hit one end of the cylinder, then refracted throughout the structure and emerged from the other end, ten times as large, and stuck Aprilius 4, destroying the PLANT in a single shot.

# # #

Durandal leaned forward in his chair, eyes widening in shock. He turned to a nearby Guard.

"Summon the Minerva! We're attacking Daedalus!"

# # #

Shinn opened his eyes, awake. Luna's hair was pressed against his mouth, her back held against his chest. He smiled and closed his eyes. This was surprisingly nice, just lying there, resting. He wished he could just lie around the whole day, Lunamaria sleeping in his arms. A buzz rudely awakened him from his day dreaming. He sighed and pulled his arm free of Lunamaria, who stirred, and he got up and answered the door. Rey glanced at his naked state then glanced at Lunamaria, who'd pulled a sheet around her bust.

"You do know affairs between officers and pilots are against regulations." Rey said. It wasn't a question.

"I'm off duty." Shinn said. He suddenly noticed the ship's gravity was altering, just slightly. A natural would've been numb to the sensation, but Shinn could feel it. It could almost be called annoying. "We're turning."

"To Daedalus. We've been ordered to destroy the Earth Forces' new laser weapon, Requiem. We're going to link up with the Zaft 2nd Orbital Fleet. Then we'll receive our battle plans. Shinn, I highly recommend you dress yourself by tomorrow. I'll authorize you taking a day off." he smiled. "But I am required to tell you to not get used to it." Shinn smiled. Rey walked off, smiling to himself.

# # #

Kira watched as his new weapon was loaded into the Eternal. A mega beam launcher. Even Kira, who liked having firepower in a battle, had to look at the large, cumbersome weapon with some distaste. True, a shot from the weapon would be like a shot from a Lohengrin cannon from the Archangel, and it also had a large beam saber built in, but why would he need that kind of power?

He looked back down at his laptop, another pet project of Erica Simmons's. The Shinkiro, a new front line unit based off the three Akatsuki prototypes. He had to admit, he wouldn't mind piloting it instead of Strike Freedom when he wouldn't need the Gundam anymore. Athrun walked over to Kira.

"They're talking about asking you to move to intervene in the battle that's coming at Daedalus. I'm still wondering why you won't." Athrun said.

Kira thought about the Legend. Instantly, his thoughts went back to Providence. "I'm more worried about Durandal. He's too smart to fall to a super weapon that easily. He's got something else up his sleeve."

"That unit, Legend. It's like Providence. And Rey is like Rau. Are you afraid of him?" Athrun asked, suspicious.

Kira narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. The last time I faced that kind of mobile suit, I lost one of the women I love. I don't want to lose Lacus, too."

"Lacus is heading out in Savior to protect you, Kira. She'll die to protect you. You've got nothing to worry about. Strike Freedom is the most advanced mobile suit we know."

"If she wants to protect me, make her stay on board the Eternal. I can't lose anyone, Athrun." Athrun looked over to see Lacus standing there, listening. "Because I don't know if I can take it. In fact, I'm pretty sure I can't. So please, Athrun, make her stay here." Kira looked at Athrun, then followed his gaze to Lacus. He stood up. "Lacus, I..."

Lacus stared at him. "Kira, what kind of person could I be if I wasn't risking my life, too?" When Kira tried to interrupt, she stopped him. "No, I'm not staying on the sidelines this time, Kira. I'll fight beside you, but I'm fighting."

"Athrun-" Kira asked.

"Sorry, Kira. But it sounds like she's made up her mind." Athrun said, smiling. Kira looked at Lacus.

"But if you die..." Kira said. Lacus walked up to him, smiling.

"I won't die, Kira. You'll be there." Kira's eyes widened. _"You said in your own words 'because you'll be there!!" Flay sobbed._

"I was there when Flay died, too. I got a front row seat. But she still died, and because she was in the wrong spot at the wrong time! All because I couldn't protect my friends. All of this, everything since Heliopolis, it's all my fault. I had to jump into that Gundam. Lacus, your father's death, Nicol's death, Miguel's, Rau's, Flay's, they all died because of me."

"Kira, we all have choices. There are some things I can never forgive, but you're a good person. But things always get worse before they get better." Athrun said. Kira lowered his head, his bangs covering his eyes.

"I'll still never forgive myself." Kira said. He gently moved Lacus out of the way and walked off. Athrun was about to follow him when Meyrin's voice came in over the comm system.

'Colonel Zala, please report to the shuttle bay. Cagalli Yula had just arrived." Athrun's eyes widened.

"Cagalli?" He ran off. Lacus followed off after Kira. She found him in their shared quarters, sitting on the bed.

"Kira, if it means that much to you, I can stay behind. I didn't know her death had hurt you so much. I'm sorry." Lacus said. Kira looked up and sighed.

"No, it's okay. I just don't want what happened to Flay to happen to you. You have to promise me to stay as far away from Destiny and Legend as you can. Me and Athrun can handle them by ourselves. I just don't want you in harm's way." Lacus sat down by Kira.

"I understand." Kira smiled faintly and leaned his head on Lacus shoulder, closing his eyes.

# # #

Athrun saw Cagalli and smiled. Cagalli turned to see him approaching and jumped at him, wrapping her arms around her neck.

"How come you didn't send any messages?!" She asked, angry. Athrun smiled.

"You didn't tell me to." Athrun replied.

Cagalli backed off and so she could look at his face. "Well, at least your arm's not in bandages again." She giggled and hugged him again. Athrun suddenly looked alarmed and pulled away to talk to her.

"Cagalli, what's happening in Orb?"

"It's fine, Athrun." Cagalli said. "But I couldn't sit around while you guys fight, so I decided to come myself."

"Cagalli!" Stella cried. She ran and jumped at Cagalli, wrapping her arms around her older sister. Cagalli grinned and hugged Stella back.

"Hi, Stella. Did you miss me?"

# # #

Orga fired his main cannons at Strike Freedom. The white suit dodged. Orga fired his top two cannons. Kira blocked with his beam shields. The blasts exploded against Freedom's shields, knocking the suit backwards. Raider was suddenly in Strike Freedom's face, and slashed out at Freedom. Freedom boosted behind Raider and kicked it away, then fired a shot at Calamity and Raider from its beam cannon. Forbidden boosted between the two suits, its shields glowing, and blocked the beam. The two circled each other, firing their beam cannons.

Forbidden boosted at Freedom and slashed out with its beam scythe. Strike Freedom went into hi-mat mode and dodged, firing its railguns. Kira activated SEED mode and boosted for Forbidden, beam sabers in hand. He sliced the beam scythe in half, then moved to Calamity and Raider. He blocked Raider's slash from is Harkonnen and fired a rail gun bolt into Raider's torso, then quickly boosted away and bombarded Calamity with railgun fire. Kira grinned.

"I win."

# # #

Djibril looked over the Daedalus lunar base, the three Destroy units standing over the battlefield. He smiled as the Girty Lue set down. Everything was in place.

# # #

"We're going to Daedalus. We've got to stop this madness before it escalates." Kira declared. "The show's starting, but we don't know who the main character is yet." Athrun looked at Kira.

"What do you mean?' Athrun asked.

"I'm worried about Shinn, but Rey's also been worrying me. I can't figure out why he's fighting."

# # #

Rey approached Legend, looking up at the mobile suit. _"Shinn is one thing, but in space, Rey's another entirely." _Rey turned away from Legend and walked back to the elevator. _"If anything, I want to know what drives him."_

# # #

"And I can't allow Shinn to continue running rampant." Kira mentally added, 'Legend will be there, too.'

"We'll proceed to Daedalus." Murrue declared. "We need to show ZAFT our resolve at ending this war." She pressed down the talk button. "All ships, this is Captain Murrue Ramius of the Archangel. All ships, turn to course 30 degrees." Athrun blinked, surprised.

"Thank you." Kira said.

# # #

He opened his eyes and looked around the tube of water. He saw shapes outside. Before he could focus on what they were, there was a change of pressure in the tank the water suddenly drained out, leaving him choking and gagging to fill his lungs with real air. As soon as he did, the tank opened, and out he fell. Auel looked over and saw Stella and Sting pushing themselves onto their hands and knees. Auel sat up.

"So," he said between pants, "why are you waking us up again?" Djibril sneered down on the extended clone.

# # #

The Zaft fleet was just outside weapons range of the lunar base. The Minerva was right in the center of the cloud of ships, waiting for the first move. Shinn wasn't looking at the Lunar base. Rey and Mayu were staring at the base. Rey was thinking on Rau.

"_You're the same as me, just as I am the same as you, Rey. You're nothing without me."Rau said down to Rey._

Rey narrowed his eyes, looking down from the Lunar Base. 'But I've already decided to change. Does that mean I'm still the same as you? Am I the same as _him?_' He turned away and headed for Legend. Shinn looked up.

"Where the hell are you going?" Shinn asked. Rey stopped and looked over his shoulder at him.

"I want to be ready for when they launch mobile suits." Rey said. As if on cue, the Minerva's alerts started going off. Rey was instantly on the move. As soon as he was in Legend, he pulled on his helmet and started up its systems.

# # #

Kira watched the Destiny, Legend, Chaos, and Impulse launch from Strike Freedom's main monitor. He turned the Gundam's head to look at Infinite Justice. Both Gundams nodded.

# # #

Shinn used his beam rifle to blast a deeper and deeper whole into the Lunar Base as thousands of mobile suits launched. The sight reminded him of the last battle in Return of the Jedi. Shinn grimaced as one particular beam almost took of Destiny's leg.

"There's so damn many!"

Rey was having similar problems, with his Dragoons flying all over, destroying every suit they could, but as soon as one was destroyed, two more rose to take it's place.

'Move!' came Athrun's voice. Rey looked to see a beam boomerang coming at him. He boosted over it just in time for it to slash through a line of Windams. Shinn likewise dodged when Strike Freedom fired all its weapons, taking out a whole area full of the Earth Forces' mobile suits.

# # #

Arthur leaned in, mouth gaping. "Captain! It's Justice and Freedom. I'll divert all our mobile suits there to run them off."

"Wait! Why'd they warn Shinn and Rey?" Talia asked.

# # #

"You're having trouble, we'd like to help this once." Kira said. "Daedalus and Requiem can't be allowed to exist. Requiem's too powerful. We'll help destroy it." Kira and Athrun suddenly boosted off and started cutting a swath through the waves of Windams. Strike Freedom opened its wings and launched its Dragoon pods, disabling mobile suits by the dozens. It drew its new Triple-Barrel beam rifle and fired three shots, each hitting a mobile suit, disabling the three suits.

Justice drew a anti-ship lance, basically two swords from the Gouf forged into one lance, and sliced through a Gouf sword first. Shinn watched in awe.

'Strike Freedom Heavy Weapons Type, and Infinite Justice Heavy Weapons type.' Kira said, before raising his shield and projecting a trio of beam fields large enough to protect from a Tanhauser cannon. Strike Freedom blocked most of the blasts from Daedalus, then lowered the shield and burst into motion, Freedom and Justice heading for Requiem.

# # #

A trio of massive shapes began to move in the shadow from the hangar of the lunar base, and three pairs of green eyes lit up. The first emerged into the light, revealing a Destroy. Its triple chest cannons lit before unleashing a trio of blue and red beams that missed Destiny and vaporized a pair of cruisers within a second. Destiny opened its wings and boosted straight at the Destroy, before its arms moved in front of it and fired. Shinn dodged and was caught in a net of beams. He looked around to see the three Destroy's coordinating their arms to trap Destiny. He sliced through one arm and boosted out of the trap, then threw a beam boomerang. It flew straight at the center Destroy's chest cannon and was soon obliterated.

The center Destroy transformed to mobile fortress mode and fired its main guns. Shinn dodged and fired his beam cannon. The Destroy raised its shields, shielding all three units.

# # #

"Ma'am! Mobile Armors approaching! Hundreds!" Arthur cried. Via looked to see Zamza-zahs approaching with their beam shields raised.

# # #

**Freakishly Short, but got the writers block off. I'm not even sure what happened in this episode, so I'm gonna start on the future for questions.**

**1) If we have a ghost moment, (which is doubtful,) who is having the moment and who is the ghost? (For the record I'm not killing off Stella.)**

**2) Would anyone like to make suggestions for 34?**

**3) Would anyone like to make Suggestions for the sequel anything wise? (I have a quartet of mobile suits and possible bad guy.) I can say that Athrun and Kira will most definitely have a fight in the sequel, which I'm naming Serenity. Here are the names of the new mobile suits you'll be seeing in Serenity. Angel Freedom, Blaze Justice, Serenity (destiny's replacement,) and Legacy, (legend's replacement,) and Shinkirou (a mass produced version of the Akatsuki) and Shinkirou Jikishano (an Akatsuki-ized version of Savior piloted by Kira early in the fic.) Need stuff for Legacy, though I kind of want a Virtue-like mobile suit.**


	35. PUMP ME UP, GUYS, SO I CAN FINISH FIC!

Hey guys, I'm just writing this to say that I am indeed working on this story, but I'd like you guys to send me some of your ideas as to what you would like to see and/or what you think will happen. Even thoughts about some of the new units in the sequel would be cool. Here is the specs for Freedom and Justice Heavy Weapons Type

ZGMF-X20A/ML Strike Freedom Heavy Weapons Type

New Features: Mega Launcher, Bio-Sensor Kai.

New Fixed Weapons: 2x Beam Sabers, mounted in forearms, 2x Dragoon pods, mounted under Railguns, usable as fixed beam cannons.

New Optional Weapons: "Libertas Caeser" Triple Barrel Beam Rifle, can be attached to beam cannon to form Mega Launcher.

Unit Description: Freedom Heavy Weapon Type was made to add a super powerful armament to Strike Freedom to negate the need of a Meteor when heavy firepower was needed. The new Mega Launcher is basically a focused plasma railgun for high power shots. Its power is comparable to both cannon on the Meteor unit firing at one single cannon.

ZGMF-X19A/10s Infinite Justice Heavy Weapons Type

New Features: Close Combat Sensors, Voltaire Lumière Thrusters in Legs.

New Fixed Weapons: 2x Beam Sabers, mounted in forearms, 2x beam boomerangs, mounted in shoulders.

New Optional Weapons: Double Bladed Beam Sword, 2x Decapitating Dragoons, mounted on Flight Unit.

Unit Description: Justice Heavy Weapons Type mainly returns some of the armaments from the original Justice, notably the beam boomerangs. Also, the beam sabers under the forearms allow the unit to fight without the need to draw its beam sabers in emergencies. This also brings its number of melee-type beams on Justice to ten, hence the number addition, Ten Swords.

And here are some of the new units that will be appearing in Gundam SEED Freedom.

ZGMF-X20X ANGEL FREEDOM-

Type: All Ranges Mobile Suit

Powerplant: Hyper Deuteron Nuclear Reactor

Features: DRAGOON system, Beam Shields, Beam Field, PSA

Fixed Armaments: 4 x CIWS, fire linked, mounted in head, 2 x repeating beam guns, mounted in chest, 2x fold-out beam carbine w/ underslung beam assault cannon mounted on forearms, hand-carried in use, 8 x DRAGOON Pods, (mounts 3 x beam saber, beam gun, and beam shield,) 2 x beam saber, 2 x railguns mounted on hips, beam cannon mounted in torso.

Optional Armaments: 2 x DRAGOON beam rifles (mounts 2 x Dragoon Pods each, can function as triple barrel beam rifle, single barrel beam cannon, or beam sword. Can also launch DRAGOON Pods from rifles.

Unit History: After the initial performance of Strike Freedom, Kira Yamato began designing even more additions to add to the preexisting Strike Freedom chassis, improving the machine's already high performance. However, the machine proved rarely needed due to the low technological level of the current battles, which were mostly rebel uprisings by the remains of blue cosmos. Thus the barely complete machine was shelved as Kira Yamato went to piloting a customized copy of the initial Savior Gundam.

ZGMF-X19Y BLAZE JUSTICE-

Type: High-Speed Close Combat Mobile Suit

Powerplant: Ultracompact Nuclear Reactor

Features: Beam Shields, Beam Field, DRAGOON System, Anti-Beam Mirror Armor.

Fixed Armaments: 4 x CIWS, fire-linked, mounted in head, 2 x Gatling Beam Guns, mounted in chest, 2 x Double Barrel Beam Machine guns, mounted in forearms, 6 x beam sabers, (mounted in waist armor and forearms,) 2 x foot beam saber, 2 x Beam blades, mounted in legs.

Optional Armaments: Combat shield (Mounts beam shield, fold-out physical combat blade, and beam boomerang) FATUM backpack (Mounts 2 x beam cannon, 6 x decapitating DRAGOONS (mounts 7 x beam sabers.)

Unit History: Much as with Strike Freedom, Infinite Justice was warranted an upgrade, however this was down by Athrun and the mobile suit designers of ZAFT, as Athrun would rather keep his machine's specifications away from Kira, who Athrun sensed he would have a future conflict with. For this reason Justice's speed and melee combat ability were upgraded to counter Freedom's poor CQB abilities. To counter Freedom's armament of predominantly beam weapons, ZAFT copied the Akatsuki and Zangetsu's anti-beam armor and applied them to the Blaze Justice, while also adding PSA to the unit's combat shield.

ZGMF-X20S SERENTIY-

Type: High-Speed Mobile Suit

Powerplant: Hyper Dueterion Nuclear Reactor

Features: Wings of Light, beam field, Serenity System

Fixed Armaments: 2 x CIWS, 2 x Beam Boomerangs/Beam Sabers, 2 x Gatling Beam cannons, mounted in chest, 2 x Beam Swords, mounted in hip armor, 2 x double barrel beam machine guns, mounted in forearms, 2 x Beam Machine Rifle, mounted on Forearms, hand-carried in use, Beam cannon, mounted in torso.

Unit History: After Destiny's loss, Shinn Asuka was in need of a new high-performance mobile suit to replace it, as most of Zaft's gundams were either obsolete or missing/destroyed. With this in mind Kira Yamato and a team of designers took Destiny and reworked it based on features from the earlier Millennium series to build a new mobile suit designed for high-speed maneuvers, which Asuka preferred. The main new system is the Serenity System, which is an expansion of the Mirage Colloid system to hide mobile suits. The Serenity system creates multiple holographic copies of the Gundam to use for confusion tactics. The Wings of Light were further tuned, now forming white energy wings that are blindingly bright. Its beam firing weapons can be set to independently tracking, allowing the Serenity to shoot down even Dragoons in record time.

ZGMF-X666X LEGACY-

Type: Heavy Beam Support Unit

Powerplant: Hyper Dueterion Nuclear Reactor

Features: Dragoon Shields, Beam Field, Dragoon System

Fixed Armaments: 2x CIWS, 2x "Picus" Machine Guns, mounted in torso, 2x Beam Javelins, 2x Beam Cannons, mounted in chest, 2x Dragoon Shields, (mounts 8x Small Dragoon Pods (3x Beam Guns) 2x Large Dragoon Pods (10x Beam Guns, 4x Beam Sabers,) each.)

Optional Armaments: Beam Rifle, Beam Launcher Bazooka

Unit History: After Legend was destroyed, Zaft began to work on a new front line unit to replace the Zaku and Gouf as the main unit of Zaft. Legacy is the result of a failed prototype reaching the hands of Kira Yamato, who used Legend's original backpack design as a basis for a shield upgrade on a Zaku Phantom. This unit proved twitchy and difficult to control, so even more Dragoons were added to remove the need for mobile suit piloting. The final Legacy is the perfected variant. The unit has a total of 74 beam firing weapons, able to put up more fire more accurately than a whole squad of Zakus. The dragoon system is actually controlled by a computer that reads orders from the pilot's thoughts and translates them in effective orders. This also means that the unit has to be calibrated to the pilots actions and thoughts, effectively meaning only a few pilots with similar thought patterns can control it.

ZGMF-X10s Savior GCA (Gaia-Chaos-Abyss)

Type: High Speed Artillery Mobile Suit

Powerplant: Nuclear Reactor

Features: MA "Bird" Mode, Four Legged MS "Beast" Mode, Hi-MAT Mode Hard point for Mobile Armor

Fixed Armaments: 4x Beam Cannon, mounted on back, 2x Reversible Beam Saber, Beam Blades, mounted on wings, 4x Dragoon Pods (mounts Beam gun, 6 tube missile launcher) mounted on hips.

Optional Armaments: Beam Rifle, Shield

Unit History: The Savior CGA is not the original Savior, rather a completely new unit developed for Kira Yamato to serve as a placeholder unit for Angel Freedom while still retaining power. Combining Gaia's legs with Savior's body, then taking combat data from Chaos and Abyss, the result is a fast close combat unit with super-heavy cannons. Its quad cannons can be arranged in a manner similar to the orignal Freedom, (hence the model number,) arranged into a pair of beam cannons similar to the original Savior, or a single powerful hyper beam launcher for either Bird or Beast mode. Unlike the original Freedom, it can use all of these formations while in Hi-MAT mode. Its Dragoons are not usable in mobile suit mode.

And here are some teasers for the sequel. Just to get you excited into reviewing.

Kira will be made a fugitive at some point by the new enemy, a secret organization named Librarian.

Astray Red Frame Kai and Astray Blue Frame (not sure which version yet,) will make an appearance.

Someone important may die. I may open a forum for discussion as to who. (I may even give up the secret, but you'll have to trick me into it! MWU HA HA HA! BE AFRAID! Might even be multiple people.)

Meer will almost definitely play a part in relation to Lacus's new position. (Note that Lacus will certainly have given birth by this point.)

The Archangel will not be involved.

The Druggies, Sam, Sebastian, Alex, and even Canard may not be involved. Yzak and Dearka are even more iffy. Mayu is definitely not appearing as a main character, but she may be a cameo.

If Rey survives Destiny, which I imagine he will, he will become much more like Rau. (I had a very odd idea to have him dye his hair black to avoid remining himself of Rau instead of a mask. I will leave this to you.)

Kira and Athrun finally have a final battle. A victor is yet to be determined if I don't make it a draw/mutual loss.

I look forward to your messages and/or reviews of this page.


	36. PLACEHOLDER

**WHAT IN THE HELL?**

_THIS IS MAINLY A PLACEHOLDER SO YOU GUYS CAN REVIEW. THIS WAS A SECOND SERIES I WAS GONNA DO AS A CROSSOVER AS A BORING NERD'S LIFE AND EVERY GUNDAM SERIES I COULD THINK OF. BUT THIS IS MAINLY SO YOU GUYS CAN REVIEW THE NEXT CHAPTER.  
_

Rated T for some random crap.

Phase 01: Bullies Beware, Geeks with Gundams!

Ricky Sterman forced his anger back down, reluctantly. The African American of impressive girth, Andre Taylor, grinned and slammed Ricky's head against the table and walked off, laughing his idiot's laugh.

"A gundam would come in handy right about now, wouldn't it?" Sam Perry asked.

"As long as I could kill his fat black ass, yes." Ricky said, loud enough for Andre to hear and turn around.

"I'd take Testament." Sam commented.

"Justice." Ricky replied.

"You little fags talkin' 'bout me?" Andre asked, head crooked slightly to one side. Both Ricky and Sam suddenly blacked out.

# # #

Both otaku were suddenly floating.

"Are we dead?" Sam asked, annoyed.

"Is this Hell?" Ricky replied, curious.

"I don't want to be dead! I want to be alive! Or a cowboy!" Caboose (from Red vs. Blue) suddenly cried from nowhere.

"IT IS!" Ricky and Sam chorused, horrified.

"Or it's a fanfic written by a desperate author who for some odd reason is attracted to women who already have boyfriends." Sam offered.

"Sounds like you." Ricky commented.

"It does, doesn't it?"

"Yes it does. What does it do?" Caboose asked.

"Caboose, do me a favor, just shut up. I'm here for a Gundam."

"Can't you buy those at the places with the drugs and also nice ladies who give me ice cream if I promise to get out?" Caboose asked, confused.

"A Gundam, blue-tard. Wait a minute…"

"Is he talking about a condom?" Sam caught sight of a light, like the end of a tunnel.

"I really hope Donut isn't in the next place…" Sam said. The light suddenly flashed, and the two teenagers were in a hanger holding two, count 'em two, Gundams. Testament and Justice.

"Should've wished for a hot girlfriend who wasn't a total bitch…" Sam berated himself.

Ricky gave Sam a look, head cocked to one side in curiosity. Sam glanced at his black haired friend and sighed.

"I hate my life."

"I hate your life, too." Ricky encouraged.

"If you had a life, you'd hate it. Now let's get out of here, before Rau le Cruset shows up."

"Hey! I actually want to meet that guy! He's frickin' awesome!"

"He's crazy!"

"And we're not?"

"Point. But he's also gay." Ricky ran for Justice, screaming. All of a sudden, Rau walked in. Sam gave the ZAFT commander a glance and sighed.

"Do you ever hate your life?" Rau just stared, but Sam could guess he was blinking behind his mask. Sam sighed and started for Testament. "Never mind. And we never had this conversation." He waved a hand at Rau.

"We never had this conversation. You're not the droids I'm looking for. Move along."

Sam slapped a hand to his forehead. "God I gotta work out those kinks."

"What happened to him?" Ricky asked, watching Rau walk around like a stormtrooper.

"He's been decaffeinated." On that note…

# # #

"WHAT THE HELL?" Andre cried, as the otaku (and their stuff) was no longer present. Suddenly, a gigantic gundam foot stepped through the ceiling. Andre looked up to see the two Gundams staring directly at Andre, eyes lit up.

'Hello, fat man. Did you miss us?' Sam asked through Testament's speakers. Both Gundams aimed their beam rifle/dual beam pistols at the bully. They fired. Andre's torso disappeared in a flash of green.

'Isn't a Flash of Green a movie?' Sam asked.

'Get back in character, ya moron.' Ricky snarled.

'Soilant Green is PEOPLE!'

'Oh my god!'

'The government puts Fluoride in our water!'

'Wait, that one's true.'

'It is? No wonder people listen to pop music.'

RANDOMNESS ALERT!

'Whoohoo! Fuck Aliens! FTW!' Sam cried. Justice began to beat Testament over the head with its Lupus beam rifle. 'Dude, we can totally pick up chicks with these things.' Ricky looked at the lunch audience and raised Justice's beam rifle.

'Now, you will give me and my friend all of your money and anything you have stolen from us, or I will shoot you.'

"Why should we?" John Sykes suddenly asked, standing up. Justice aimed and fired, annihilating John Sykes with a single shot.

'Anymore objections?' A missile suddenly hit Justice. 'Sonuvabitch!' Justice opened its Fatum Sublight lifter's wings and deployed it in flight mode, taking off after the jet that had fired it. Ricky drew a beam saber and cut the fighter in half.

'I've gone mad with power! You know why? Because going mad without power is just no fun…' Sam continued.

'What does that even mean?'

'Finishing move!' Testament suddenly crushed a school bus with its gigantic Trikeros Kai claw arm.

'When did you become an extended?'

'When I was born.'

'What'd I do wrong in the last life?'

'You were born, weren't you?'

Walked into that one.

"I LOVE BLOOD And VIOLENCE!"

"What?"

"I'VE GOT A BONER FOR MURDER!"

"THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE, AND I AM A PRETTY UNUSUAL GUY!"

"I MAKE NECROPHILIACS LOOK GOOD!" Justice pulled its Fatum off its back and used it like a club to beat Testament over the head, and then clubbed it onto the ground and started beating it to a bloody (oily?) pulp.

# # #

**Please for the love of god, do not review. This is a placeholder so y'all can review the next real chapter. But on an interesting note, I will start a forum for this series (Freedom's Flight) if I receive more than TEN REVIEWS of the next chapter.**

**THIS I COMMAND!**


	37. Rainbow Wings

**I'm just wondering before I go on, is anybody at all interested in a forum of this series? I may make one before I start the sequel. Will be much easier to write than this. Hopefully. Rest Assured, I'll try to put the last chapter or two out fast.**

Phase 34: Rainbow Wings

_Vestige makes a great song right now, actually._

Kira's eyes widened as the mobile armors approached, dodging beam cannon fire. He opened Freedom's wings and took off, firing his beam rifle. The numerous mobile armors began to circle him, using their shields to block him in. Freedom raised its beam field, blocking beam cannon blasts through the shield.

"Dammit!"

# # #

Athrun spun, slicing out with his lance, cutting the cockpit of a Zamza-zah open. He looked inside expecting to see at least one pilot. His eyes widened.

"Automated? Kira! Kira!" Athrun looked to see Kira trapped in a cube of beam shields. He drew his beam boomerang and threw it, carving through three mobile armors. "Kira! They're just big dragoon pods! No pilots!"

# # #

Kira lowered his beam field.

"What?" A beam cannon blast hit Freedom mid-torso, filling the cube of beam shielding with smoke. Ten dragoons suddenly emerged and destroyed the mobile armors holding Strike Freedom, which emerged from the smoke moments later, its new beam rifle unleashing a hail of beam blasts. Its dragoon pods swung to the end of its wings, and a field of rainbow colored energy spanned between each wing, and Freedom's eyes turned purple, flashing. Inside the cockpit, Kira's pupils seperated into a trio of close-knit mini-pupils. His opals turned multicolor at the edges, extending the spectrum of Kira's vision. He drew a beam saber and flew straight through a swarm of units, cutting through them faster than Athrun could see, then used a beam rifle burst to destroy a Destroy.

'What the hell was that?' Shinn yelled, panicking.

# # #

Rey gripped his head, gritting his teeth. What was this damned ringing? It was like a million thoughts ringing like bells through Rey's head.

"Get...out..." Rey growled, angry, "GET THE HELL OUTTA MY HEAD!" He drew his beam javelins and began to carve a rage-driven swath through the forces guarding requiem, his dragoons following in his wake.

# # #

Djibril watched as his army was being destroyed like cannon fodder, terrified.

"Fire! Fire Requiem Now! Destroy those insects! FIRE EVERYTHING!"

"But sir, our forces are still in the line of fire!" the admiral said, looking at Djibril, horrified.

"I WANT THEM DEAD NOW!" Djibril pulled out a pistol and shot the nearest human being to emphasize his point.

"Are you insane?"

"I SAID **FIRE!**"

# # #

Strike Freedom placed its new beam rifle into its beam cannon, the handle splitting into twins to either side of the rifle. The upper and lower barrel folded back, their muzzles sparking electricity. Its Xiaphias railguns folded up, charging energy. A rainbow-colored beam field surrounded Strike Freedom, shielding it from all incoming fire.

# # #

Athrun was still wondering what had caused Freedom's transformation when a Destroy attacked him.

'You murdered me!' Sting Oakley roared, firing his beam cannons. 'I won't let you kill me again!' Athrun threw all three beam boomerangs, cutting through the Destroy's launched arms, and the third cut of the units legs, leaving the unit to fall over, firing its cannons at Justice. Destiny suddenly showed up and destroyed the immense mobile suit with one shot of its beam cannon.

"Tell me what's happening to Freedom!" Shinn shouted, attacking the Justice.

"What's wrong with you?" Athrun shouted, blocking the attack with his shield. "I don't know either, alright!"

"Why would I believe a traitor like you?" Shinn said, throwing a beam boomerang. It knocked Justice's lance out of its hand, forcing Athrun to draw his beam rifle. "Tell me what's really happening!" All of a sudden, Destiny's head was shot by a pair of dragoon pods. Legend boosted at Justice, its Beam Javelins flashing. Athrun dodged and fired a pair of shots at Legend, forcing it back on the defensive.

# # #

Inside Legend, Rey was wildly looking around the screens, sweating, his helmet discarded.

"Where is he? Where's Mu la Flaga!" At that moment, a destroyed Zamza-zah slammed into Legend, and Rey suddenly was lunged forward, his head striking and breaking his main view screen, before falling unconscious.

# # #

"Strike Freedom Heavy Weapons Type now firing!" Freedom's charged beam rifle fired a massive beam larger than a Tanhauser cannon straight at Requiem. Just as he did, the main battery of Requiem emptied into a nuclear chamber, and fired a large beam. When they struck, Freedom's smaller beam struck the large cannon blast of Requiem and the two forces of energy canceled each other out in a release of kinetic energy that forced the base on which Requiem sat to spin out of control, causing a huge crack right down the middle of the station. Freedom was the only suit that wasn't pushed back, its wings of light flaring as the wave hit it, then the wings closed into their normal configuration. Discarding the now destroyed beam rifle, Kira flew over to Justice.

# # #

Djibril watched as the wave of plasma flew right at him, cracking the window. Within seconds, the glass had stripped him to nothing. Within minutes, Djibril was merely a mushy collection of blood and some bones that were sucked into outer space.

# # #

"Let's go." As they left, rescue teams began to recover Destiny and Legend, their pilots unconcious.

"What was that, Kira?" Athrun asked. Kira looked at Justice.

"I found a state above SEED mode where I could tap into my extra brain power. With the bio-sensor I can set Freedom to increase its reactor while also receiving solar energy via its wings. I tried to use at Onogoro, but I couldn't control the sudden surplus of energy."

# # #

"It appears we have no choice. Those people will attack the Plants. I want Messiah on line immediately. Also, I want the Operating System installed into the Immortal." Durandal turned to Meer. "Meer, I am afraid right now you are no longer needed." Meer looked at Durandal, shocked and confused.

"Who's...who is Meer? I'm...I'm Lacus, aren't I? Aren't I?" Durandal nodded to a guard, who gripped Meer's arm and pulled her away. He turned to his Praetorian Guard.

"Take her to a remote location and dispose of her." Meer, looked back, unknown to Durandal that she could still here them. "Then bring Asuka to me. We have matters to discuss."

# # #

Sebastian drew Fenrir from its sheathe, examining the blade's edge from several angles, using a whetstone to sharpen it here and there. He drew a rag of fur and tanned hide from a bag and set it down next to some oil, then unpegged the blade from the hilt and tsuba and with drew the actual metal tang and blade out and began to use the oil and rag to clean every centimeter.

Samuel stood nearby, watching Alex lift weights. The raven-haired pilot held back any sound he could. It was an exercise similar to learning to ignore any kind of pain, but less stressful. He simultaneously counted the pegs in the room with his Newtype senses, focusing his mind to the kind of multi-tasking needed for mobile suit piloting.

"Do you think Durandal will attack us next?" Samuel finally asked.

"Nobody is elected to be Chairman unless he has something the others don't. Historians call it charisma, allies. Really, it comes down to security guards."

"Security Guards?"

"Like the kind that take his more powerful adversaries out of harm's way," Sebastian said.

"Meaning?"

"He's got something else."

"Like what?"

"Well, Zala had Genesis, the one before him had N-Jammers."

"There is Destiny," Samuel added, looking at Sebastian.

"Destiny's a rook, not a Queen."

Sebastian stood up, setting his cleaned weapon into its sheath. He walked out, taking his things with him.

# # #

Stella stared out of the observation window of the Archangel, trapped by the silence of the moment. Kira turned the corner to see Stella and stopped. She looked to see Kira and pushed away from the window.

"It's...really quiet," Stella said. Kira tried to remember the days just before Jachin Due and realized he couldn't.

"It's the deep breath before the plunge. Pretty soon, it's all going to be chaos. A lot of people are going to die."

Stella stiffened. "Die? Are we gonna die?"

"If we do, we're not dying alone." Stella froze. She blinked.

"We'll be together. Like family."

"We are family." Kira looked into her eyes, exactly his own, and saw a part of himself there. Up until now, he'd never fully wrapped his head around the fact that he had a family. Now he had a mother, and a brother, and two sisters. He had more to actually fight for. The thought brought a wellspring of joy up from him, and he suddenly smiled and hugged Stella protectively.

"I'll protect you, Stella."

# # #

Shinn walked into the room to see Durandal looking out the window. Shinn walked up and saw a large mobile armor being unloaded. It had a pair of wings extending from its shoulders with dragoon pods shaped like feathers, and Shinn counted at least nine beam cannons mounted around the unit, all but one facing forward, three arranged in a gatling gun-like formation on either side.

"The ZGMF-XXX IMMORTAL. It was built using test data from Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss, and is based on a suit from ZAFT's first series of gundams. It features a nanotech repair system that can repair it as long as it is powered by a nuclear reactor. This will be the weapon that destroys Freedom. All I need you to do is destroy Athrun and Lacus Clyne. Then nothing will stop the Destiny Plan."

"Who will be piloting it, sir?" Shinn asked. Durandal looked of his shoulder and smiled. Shinn blinked. "You...you'll be piloting it? Are you sure you don't want me to pilot-"

"I am the one who began the Destiny Plan, thus I should be the one that concludes it. Don't worry Shinn, nothing will happen to me. I can handle a mobile armor just fine," Durandal interrupted. Besides, the Immortal is based on your combat data.

# # #

Via read the orders again, and looked up at the purple-uniformed commander that had delivered them. Arthur looked at Via, uncertain of himself. She crumpled the paper and threw it aside.

"What is the meaning of this? I've been called to be the primary commander of Messiah? And what is this Messiah? There's no ship named Messiah in our fleet, and certainly no ship that needs more than one commander!" Via yelled, angry.

"Ma'am, I am just the deliverer. The orders come straight from Chairman Durandal. As a member of Faith, you have no choice in the matter. The Chairman will explain." Via ground her teeth and walked off the bridge.

"Arthur, don't you dare lose my ship. Or then you'll be sorry."

# # #

"Hey, Mobile Suit Pilot!" Murrue shouted. Neo looked up from welding a joint on the Akatsuki, goggles covering his eyes, his hair tied back into a ponytail. He shut the welder off pushed off over to Murrue, removing his goggles.

"And how may I help you, princess?" Neo asked, bowing.

"Well, you could come to the strategy meeting aboard the Eternal in about fifteen minutes, but I guess if you're too busy fixing you mobile suit."

"I'll fix my mobile suit AND be at the strategy meeting."

"Are you sure, heavy duty repairman such as yourself?"

"I make the impossible possible, I will be there, then I will fly my fully-repaired circles around your slow bulky ship."

"Yeah? Well, don't run into any of my large intimidating weapons."

"I'll do that, and avoid your ship's guns! Now, if you excuse me." Murrue just stared open mouthed as he floated back to where he left his welder, then put his goggles back on and began to weld again.

"I'm going to punish you for that later!" Murrue shouted, leaving.

"Okay. I love spankings!"

# # #

Kira was looking at the large tactical table of the eternal, Lacus sitting in chair nearby, Andrew Waltfeld standing opposite Kira.

"Serpent Tail and the Junk Guild have rejoined Terminal. We have more military strength than one of Zaft's fleets, but we're facing three. The First, Third, and Fifth Fleets Arrayed against. The Sixth and Seventh will be on us in twelve hours," Andrew said, reading a list of statistics.

"We'll have to attack before that. But we'll be wiped out if we haven't crippled the First and Third by then. The Fifth will be held back until the last moment," Kira noted.

"There's also a small space fortress nearby. We've been unable to confirm, but it looks like it's moving. There are a pair of repair and resupply frigates there, and a pair of super carriers. They're both capable of launching twelve mobile suits at a time."

"And Durandal is going to have them bear down on me and me alone," Kira finished. Lacus and Waltfeld both looked up at him, shocked.

"His Destiny plan, the way I see it, I'm the one thing that would be fit to rule the world. I would be the king, if not the god of his gene-based caste system. So he'll come for me." At that point, Murrue and Neo walked in, followed by Stella, Shani, Clotho, and Orga. A few seconds later, Canard walked in from the other door. Sebastian and Alex walked in, followed shortly by Samorai and Mina Sahaku.

"I think Sebastian, Alex, and Sam should defend the Archangel. Neo will help you. Athrun and I will take the Meteors and take on the main mobile suit force. Stella and Lacus will support us. Shani, Orga, and Clotho will punch a hole for the ships. Canard and the Astrays can be rear guard for Forbidden, Calamity, and Raider. Athrun and I will take down Destiny and Legend, then head for the-"

He was cut off by a huge beam firing near the Eternal. Waltfeld grabbed the table and headed for the captain's chair.

"What the hell was that?"

"A huge beam weapon from that space fortress!" Meyrin reported, typing furiously. "The east wing of the fleet's been devastated, and five ships are on fire and leaking oxygen. Seven more are suffering hull breaches, but can still launch and move. Three aren't reporting in."

"That was a Genesis beam!" Sebastian shouted.

"We have to start launching now! Get back to you positions. Athrun and I will take the Genesis out."

# # #

Murasames and DOM Troopers were suddenly scrambling, launching to establish a safe perimeter. A few scout Zakus were found and destroyed, as the ships began to spread apart to avoid presenting a target.

# # #

The Eternal, Kusanagi, Archangel, and ReHome all opened their linear catapults, squadrons of mobile suits protecting the hatch. Neo opened a communication with Murrue.

"I just called to tell you I'm coming back. I promise I'm coming back. And if anything tries to stop me, I'll shoot them out of the sky." Neo said. Murrue blinked, then smiled and nodded. He closed the line.

# # #

Kira looked around the Eternal through Strike Freedom's cockpit, thinking to himself.

"One last time..." he declared to himself. "All pilots, launch your machines!"

# # #

"Canard Pars, Dreadnought H, Launching!"

"Mina Sahaku, Astray Gold Frame, Taking Off!"

"Lowe Guele, Astray Red Frame, Launching!"

"Gai Murakumo, Astray Blue Frame Second L, Taking off."

"Alex Strassmeier, Dragoon Soryu, Launching!"

"Sebastian "Storm Wolf" Connor, Zangetsu, Launching!

"Samorai Joule, Gekka, Launching!"

"Stella Lousieer, Gaia, Launching!"

"Neo Roanoke, Akatsuki, Launching!"

"Yzak Joule, Gouf, Taking Off."

"Dearka Elmsan, Zaku, taking off."

# # #

"Rey za Burrel, Legend, Heading out!"

"Mayu Asuka, Chaos, Taking off!"

"Lunamaria Hawke, Core Splendor, Taking off!"

# # #

"Athrun Zala, Infinite Justice, taking off!"

# # #

"Shinn Asuka, Destiny, Taking off."

# # #

"Kira Yamato. ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom, Launching!"

Freedom shot down the launch rails, sparks flying. As it cleared the launch rails it opened its Wings of Light and flapped once, sending deuteron particles flying in its wake.

# # #

The massive mobile armor freed itself from its external cables.

"Chairman Gilbert Durandal, ZGMF-XXX Immortal. Heading out."

# # #

**Here we are. And boy has it been a long ride. The Immortal is a little mobile armor I came up with (stretching little) but I will... do something I can't think of right now for the person who can guess which mobile armor the Immortal is inspired by. Anyway, on to questions.**

**1) Who will die?**

**2) Who will review?**

**3) Who will strip naked and cry out for joy now that I've finally put out a chapter? (None of you I hope, but I don't know.)**

**4) What happened with Rey when Kira entered Rainbow Mode? (Or at least I want to hear your thoughts.)  
**

**5) Will Durandal live?**

**6) **** Will Via live?**

**7) Will Stella live?**

**8) Who's ghost will appear to Shinn/Rey/Neo/Kira/Murrue/Auel(WHAT? IT'S NOT LIKE I HAVE ANY RULES HERE!)/Rau/Flay/The 2 billion dead soldiers Kira cried over in the first series/Mu/Djibril**

**9) Which one of the characters will randomly strip naked and show up in the middle of the final scene with Durandal and Kira? (BTW, if you blow soda on your keyboard I will not replace it. You know who you are.)**

**10) WHY were you DRINKING SODA a SECOND TIME after knowing that THAT had happened in the FIRST PLACE?**

**11) WHY IN THE BLAZES WOULD I WRITE ELEVEN QUESTIONS?**

**13) WHY IS THERE NO TWELVE? (SLAP YOURSELF IF YOU FELL FOR THAT. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.)**

**Chaos Nightbringer Inc. is not responsible for any bodily seizures, injuries, or nerd-asms that occur as a result of this fanfic. Nerd-asms are a dangerous condition that may result in uncontrollable laughing. Call your doctor if you have a condition lasting longer than 4 hours. If you suffer a dangerous drop in IQ, immediately engage in some kind of mental activity. (Counting to ten does not count. Except to ten. Er...nevermind.)**

**Chaos Nightbringer Inc. is not responsible for you hurting yourself while confused. You're a freaking Poke'mon. Act like it! Unless your facing an Alakazam at the time, in which case you are totally allowed to, because Alakazam is a hoss. BUT GHASTLY SUCKS! CURSE IS THE STUPIDEST MOVE OF ALL TIME! OKAY, HALVE MY OWN HP TO DO ABOUT 7 PERCENT DAMAGE PER TURN. GREAT PLAN, JACK ASS!**

**Chaos Nightbringer Inc. is not responsible for friends laughing at you because you understood the last paragraph. But then again if you're reading this it probably means you're friends are awesome too.**

**We are responsible for making you feel awesome. So feel awesome dudes. Feel Awesome.**

**Ass mode.**

**Nerd-asms is a copyright word. MINE!**


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